Chapter 195: Deep Winter

Chapter 195: Deep Winter

The Sonia Sea, Pasu Island, the Abyss of Storms Cathedral.

This was the headquarters within the headquarters of the Church of Storms, the holy temple within the holy temple, a place favored by a deity.

Here, murals outlined in azure, silver-white, green, and golden hues appeared rough at first glance, yet carried a feeling of divine majesty. Together with a dome more than a hundred meters high, they made anyone standing there instinctively sense their own insignificance and lower their head beyond their control.

Alger Wilson had already passed the ritual and had “truly” become a Sequence 5 Ocean Songster. At this moment, he stood here with the others who had advanced in the same group, waiting to hear the teachings of Pope Gad II.

As expected, consuming potion in excess really does bring one close to losing control. I had already digested everything from before, and yet this time I still almost couldn’t endure it… Once I leave Pasu Island, I’ll borrow the Unshadowed Crucifix from The Sun and purge the extra characteristics. Not only can that be exchanged for money, it can also let me secretly cultivate a few Beyonders loyal to me… Through the reflection of the blue stone tiles beneath his feet, Alger saw that the color of his hair had become a little darker, and the strands a little thicker.

At that moment, the sound of instruments like rolling thunder rang out. It exploded in the heart of every Beyonder present, spreading great fear.

Pope Gad II walked out carrying a scepter. He ascended the steps, faced the crowd, and spoke in a low voice that rolled outward like thunder:

“Congratulations. Each of you has taken one step closer to the Lord.”

He wore a triple crown inlaid with sapphires, emeralds, and other gems, and a deep-blue robe that was almost black. Upon it, gold and silver threads embroidered patterns symbolizing lightning, storms, and the sea. His aura was deep and majestic, giving the impression that an enormous storm was about to descend.

This angel on earth, the representative of the Lord of Storms, appeared to be a middle-aged man of only forty or so. Yet everyone knew that Gad II had presided over the Cardinal Council for nearly a hundred years.

As a favored one of a deity, such longevity was not strange to believers. There was nothing frightening about it. It was perfectly normal.

Hearing His Holiness’s congratulations, Alger allowed no extraneous thought to arise. Together with the other Ocean Songsters, he clenched his right fist, struck his left chest, and shouted:

“Storm above!”

For the next quarter of an hour, they listened quietly to Gad II’s sermon.

Once this procedure was complete, Alger received his mission from a high-ranking deacon of the Mandated Punishers: proceed to Sonia Island, lie in ambush in the nearby waters, and seek opportunities to attack the port, supply fleets, and Feysac merchant ships.

…

Backlund, Queens Borough, inside the Hall family’s luxurious villa.

Audrey had just put on a blue cloak and was preparing to take the golden retriever Susie, her maid Annie, and the others to the Loen Charity Bursary Foundation on Pacefield Street when she saw her father, Earl Hall, enter through the front door.

“Good morning, Father. Did you… not come home last night?” Audrey asked, slightly puzzled as she looked him up and down.

“You can tell?” Earl Hall stroked his fine mustache and asked with a smile.

Seeing that her father was in a good mood, Audrey’s green eyes shifted slightly, and she answered with a faint smile, “Your coat has a very heavy smell of tobacco. That means you have not taken it off for quite a long time, and it is clothing for going out.”

Aside from that, many other details could have led to the same conclusion, but Audrey deliberately chose not to mention them.

As Earl Hall took off his coat and handed it to his personal valet, he chuckled.

“Not bad. Very sharp observation. It seems your work at the Charity Bursary Foundation has improved you considerably.

“I spent the whole night at the Prime Minister’s residence, waiting for news.”

At this point, Earl Hall sighed, then continued, “The front lines in Winter County and Midseashire repelled the Feysacians’ attacks again. With the severe cold arriving, we have finally gained a chance to breathe.”

Audrey blinked and displayed an appropriate amount of surprise.

Earl Hall immediately smiled.

“I know what you are wondering. The newspapers only say what we want the public to know.

“The situation along the Amanda Mountains defensive line and in the major coastal cities of the Midsea is not as good as you imagine. During the first wave of surprise attacks, our fleet and our soldiers suffered tremendous losses. To avoid causing panic, we announced that both sides had won and lost some battles, and ordered the major shipyards and arsenals to operate at full capacity.

“During this period, the two defensive lines nearly broke several times. Many key areas were lost, retaken, and fought over repeatedly. They are said to have become meat grinders for humanity.

“Fortunately, we finally held on. This winter will be the turning point of the war.”

Actually, I know… The numbers of dead, missing, and wounded may have been concealed, but they still reveal many problems… And winter may not necessarily be good. Feysac’s Weather Warlocks are very skilled at making use of conditions like this… Audrey felt a wave of sorrow, but hurriedly controlled her emotions and showed a smile.

“That’s wonderful. I hope peace can be restored as soon as possible.”

Earl Hall froze for a moment, then said, “His Majesty the King plans to give a speech to the whole nation on Saturday, to tell them that we will certainly be victorious.

“When the time comes, people will be organized into the squares of every city and village. The latest technology will allow everyone to hear it.”

The latest technology… gathering the public in every square to listen to the King’s speech… Audrey instantly thought of Mr. World’s reminder and decided to inform him of this matter.

…

Organizing large numbers of people to listen to a speech in the squares… Is this the corresponding sacrifice? Is George III about to hold the Black Emperor ritual? After learning the latest information from Miss Justice, Klein returned to the real world, his expression clearly turning grave.

He paced back and forth in the rented apartment a few times. Without further delay, he took out paper and pen and rapidly wrote:

“I have gathered Beyonder blood from twenty pathways. Only Assassin and Criminal remain.

“George III will hold a speech facing the vast majority of the public this Saturday. You should know what this may represent.

“In addition, I need the ritual for speaking with Mr. Door.”

After folding the letter and having Reinette Tinekerr deliver it, Klein slowly exhaled. He could not stop all kinds of thoughts from turning in his mind:

“Witch blood shouldn’t be a problem. Trissy appears very resolute about sabotaging George III’s plan…

“I can reveal some information to the Queen of Mysteries about my having a way to enter the secret mausoleums… Although her main objective is reviving the Emperor, and she may not be willing to directly oppose George III, if George III succeeds, the Emperor may very well be unable to return…

“For demon blood, I just need to wait for the City of Silver Chief to come back… The hunting team he led has been out for more than ten days. They should be returning soon… In theory, there’s enough time. It should be fine… If not, I’ll try two backup methods. First, I’ll use the Ravings aura in place of blood. Second, I’ll summon the demons I once encountered from the historical void and draw their blood…”

…

In the Backlund Bridge area, inside a room that looked completely ordinary.

Trissy, her glossy black hair hanging directly down, reached into a mirror and took out a letter.

She opened it and read. Her brows gradually knitted together, making her look especially pitiful.

“It is finally about to arrive…” Trissy’s expression shifted several times, as though she hesitated, resisted, feared, and felt lost.

In the end, she revealed a smile and whispered with a hint of distortion, “I’ve killed so many people and caused so many tragedies. Even if I die this time, I’ve long since earned back the principal…”

After a few more seconds of silence, Trissy drew a glass tube from an inner pocket of her black dress.

What it contained was not her own blood, but another witch’s—the witch whose original name had been Sherman and who later called herself Shermane.

As a qualified and experienced witch, while cultivating Shermane, Trissy had found an opportunity to take some of her blood as a medium for curses. Perhaps most of the time, it would prove useless, but it could effectively guard against accidents.

After Shermane’s death, Trissy had not discarded the tube of blood, because witches often needed this kind of material. Just like now.

…

The City of Silver, inside a residence.

No sooner had the frequency of lightning increased than Derrick rolled out of bed, lit the stove, and deftly began baking mushroom bread.

This bread was much finer and sweeter than what had been made from black-faced grass. He liked it very much. Every day, he looked forward to his three meals with a level of anticipation he had never felt before.

The only problem was that the yield of mushrooms that could be made into bread was not very high.

Limited by the number of monster corpses, each resident could receive it only once a week, enough for four or five meals.

After thousands of years of effort, the area around the City of Silver had become relatively safe, with fewer monsters.

Derrick had heard that someone, in order to hunt monsters and cultivate mushrooms, had deliberately placed himself in darkness, hoping to act as bait.

Then he had been eaten.

Obtaining those mushrooms has made everyone somewhat optimistic… That is not good… Derrick remembered the sigh the Chief had made before setting out and shook his head. He picked up a jar scavenged from the ruins of some other city-state and poured out white milk.

To be honest, he did not like this thing. However, Miss Justice’s description that milk could help humans grow taller and stronger had moved him.

As a resident of the City of Silver, Derrick knew that because he had not chosen the Giant pathway, the possibility and degree of any future height increase were both not very great. Even so, he secretly hoped to reduce the gap between himself and his friends, and milk let him see a dawn of hope.

Gulp. Gulp. With a solemn expression, Derrick drank the day’s portion of milk.

He was just about to take the mushroom bread when he suddenly sensed something and turned his head to look out the window.

In the shadows outside the door, a person grew out and spoke from afar:

“Derrick, the Chief asked me to deliver this bottle of blood to you.”

The Chief is back? Derrick abruptly stood.

“All right. Thank you.”

The moment he finished speaking, he saw the shadow in the crack beneath the door come alive, surging as it pushed in a small metal bottle.

Derrick knew very well that it contained the demon blood Mr. World wanted.