Lennon observed the black liquid and the small white stone Rey had coughed up.
Curiosity lingered in his eyes.
"So that's the symptom of your Angelic Flu…"
He crouched slightly, studying it.
"It's completely different from mine… or the senior's."
"Cough… cough…"
Rey was still coughing violently.
His vision spun.
His head felt like it was about to split open.
Even so, he forced himself to speak.
"So… am I a Bearer now?"
But something had changed.
The world felt… different.
When Rey looked at Lennon, something stirred inside him.
Repulsion.
A deep, instinctive repulsion.
At the same time, Lennon was staring at him.
What a monster…
He felt it too.
The amount of prana inside that boy was absurd.
Completely unfair.
"So… how many angels do you have?" Lennon asked.
If the boy had four or fewer…
He would be incredibly valuable.
The fewer angels a Bearer possessed, the stronger they tended to be.
It was almost an absolute rule.
Those with many angels had weaker abilities.
Those with few possessed terrifying power.
But with that level of prana…
It was hard to believe he had only a few.
"I… don't know," Rey replied."How do I find out?"
Lennon thought for a moment.
Then said,
"Close your eyes."
"And feel the lights."
Rey did as instructed.
But he didn't see any light.
Instead…
He heard voices.
Two voices.
The first was beautiful.
Ethereal.
Feminine.
The same voice that had saved his life before.
"Nammu."
The second voice was different.
Sharper.
Resolute.
Also feminine.
"Punishment of Sodom."
Rey opened his eyes.
"I didn't see any lights."
"I only heard two voices."
Lennon frowned.
Voices?
He had never heard his own angel speak.
"What did they say?"
"Nammu…"
"And Punishment of Sodom."
Rey answered honestly.
His lungs still burned.
Lennon stayed silent for a few seconds.
Only two angels…
With that absurd amount of prana…
What an anomaly.
But none of that showed on his face.
"Those must be your angels."
Rey took a deep breath, still dizzy.
Then Lennon continued.
"You'll have to figure out their abilities in combat."
"If you try to test them now… you might not be able to use them later."
Rey frowned.
"What combat?"
Lennon smirked slightly.
"You think becoming a Bearer is free?"
He was already walking back toward the house.
"Let's go."
He didn't sound like he would accept refusal.
Rey muttered under his breath.
Just the thought of facing that monster again terrified him.
But…
The idea of using his new power stirred something inside him.
Wait for me a little longer, Sther.
I'll be back.
They climbed back through the window.
The moment Rey stepped inside—
The smell of blood hit him.
Nausea followed instantly.
Five or six mutilated bodies lay in the kitchen.
The scene was brutal.
"Move," Lennon said.
As if it were nothing.
For Bearers…
Life was brutal.
When they reached the living room—
Ruben was waiting.
"So you came back…"
His gaze shifted to Rey.
"Why bring this brat?"
"Planning to use him as a meat shield?"
"Exactly," Lennon replied without hesitation.
A lie.
But a useful one.
Suddenly—
The flesh tentacles lashed out again.
They sliced through the air violently.
Lennon shoved Rey aside and dove away, narrowly dodging.
At that moment—
His angel completed the analysis.
The Library of Alexandria.
It had identified Ruben's angel.
Corpo-Seco.
A creature from Brazilian folklore.
An angel that granted conditional immortality.
"Get him out of the house!" Lennon shouted.
Ruben laughed.
"That angel of yours is annoying…"
His tentacles became even more aggressive.
Lennon's body was cut in multiple places.
Rey was completely lost.
He had no idea how to use his power.
No matter what he tried—
Nothing happened.
Then Ruben approached him.
Keeping Lennon at bay with his tentacles.
He pulled out a dagger.
"Blame Euphrates for your death."
He raised his arm.
Ready to strike.
At that moment—
The voice returned.
Soft.
Ethereal.
"Call Nammu."
Rey shouted with everything he had.
"NAMMU!"
In that instant—
His shadow expanded.
It transformed.
Into something else.
A black lake.
Round.
Spreading over ten meters wide.
From its depths—
Something emerged.
A massive hand.
Formed from solidified black water.
Nearly three meters across.
It shot forward.
And slammed into Ruben.
The impact was violent.
Ruben was hurled into the wall.
The entire house shook.
"Again!" Lennon shouted.
Rey reacted instinctively.
The black hand stretched across the lake of shadows—
And struck again.
This time, it smashed through the wall.
Creating a massive hole.
Ruben was thrown outside.
His tentacles vanished along with him.
Lennon didn't hesitate.
He drew his gun.
And fired.
The bullet pierced Ruben's head.
Killing him instantly.
The immortality of Corpo-Seco only worked inside enclosed spaces.
But Rey couldn't focus anymore.
He collapsed to his knees.
And began vomiting violently.
Black liquid poured from his mouth.
Just like the substance that had formed the hand.
His shadow returned to normal.
But the vomiting didn't stop.
His body trembled uncontrollably.
The Angelic Flu had truly begun.