401 Divine Epiphany (1/2)

Backlund, in a basement that resembled a temple.

Mr. A, dressed in a hooded black robe, motionlessly quietly knelt in front of a figurine of The Hanged Giant for an extended period of time.

Suddenly, he pricked up his ears as if he was listening to something.

After a short pause, Mr. A's hands jerked up, and he snapped his right index finger with his left palm.

He stuffed the bloody finger into his mouth and munched on it like he was eating snacks, making crunching sounds.

Gulp!

Mr. A's throat wiggled, and he swallowed his gnawed fingers into his stomach.

His body suddenly trembled, as if he was being grabbed and shaken by an invisible figure.

In this state, Mr. A stretched out his right hand and used the blood from his wound to write words on the ground.

Those words were written in neither Jotun or Dragonese, which could stir the powers of nature, nor was it in Hermes which was used for sacrificial rituals. Instead, they were written in the most ordinary and commonplace language, Loen.

The scarlet color quickly gathered together and the words pieced together into a few sentences.

”Found:

”The Fool that doesn't belong to this era.

”The mysterious ruler above the gray fog.

”The King of Yellow and Black who wields good luck.

”Adorers and devotees in Backlund.”

After the end of the ”divine epiphany,” Mr. A stopped trembling, and a new finger grew out of his squirming wound.

He lowered his head and carefully read the words he had just written, the corners of his mouth curled up in the shadows.

”By your divine revelation!” Mr. A humbly prostrated as though he had found the meaning of his existence once again.

…

City of Silver, at the top of the spire.

Lovia walked to the window and looked down at the candlelight in the darkness, her expression softening.

After an unknown period of time, she heard a knock at the door.

”Your Excellency?” Lovia turned around with alacrity and greeted the visitor with a smile.

The door opened backward automatically.

The person standing outside was none other than Demon Hunter Colin Iliad. He was draped with a brown coat and a leather belt with secret compartments around his waist.

”Lovia, the abnormality of the exploratory team has been verified,” Colin described plainly. ”As captain, regardless of your condition, you have to stay in the dungeon for three days and undergo the Glory Crown's cleansing. You should know that this is the rule.”

Lovia didn't show the slightest hint of anger as she calmly smiled.

”I know, I've already made preparations to stay in the dungeon for a long time. When it's over, I can accept any arrangements even if you guys still don't trust me.”

As she spoke, she had walked to the door and went past Demon Hunter Colin while facing him.

Colin turned silently and followed her down the winding steps.

Halfway there, they heard heart-wrenching cries and shouts.

”Is it starting again?” Lovia asked with a slightly confused expression.

Collin nodded and replied in a low voice, ”Yes, this is a destiny that we can't escape from…”

At this moment, in a large hall in the middle levels of the spire.

The members of the exploratory team and the few residents of the City of Silver who had been corrupted were pressed down to the ground by seemingly corporeal holy lusters. They were unable to move, as though they were carrying a huge mountain on their backs.

A couple in their forties with dark skin held a sword with complicated patterns as they walked up to a young man in his early twenties.

The young man's body had already turned into a meat slush, but his head was still intact. Only a long, thin, blood-red tendril grew out of it.

Seeing the couple approaching, he shouted in horror, ”Dad, Mom, what are you doing?

”Didn't we agree to eat grilled iron scorpions together tonight?

”Dad, Mom, I caught a lot of iron scorpions for you…”

The couple couldn't bear it any longer and turned their heads to the side, but they raised the sword in their hands high into the air…

After two stabbing sounds rang out, the young man stopped his wailing. He twitched first, then he completely lost all signs of life.

Elsewhere, a young girl, who was around ten years old, raised a sword with complicated patterns on it. Tears were streaming down her face as she stabbed her elder sister.

The girl lying on the ground suddenly laughed and gently said, ”From today onwards, you'll have to live your own life. Don't be naive anymore…”

The girl immediately cried until her vision turned into a blur, and the sword in her hand stopped in midair.

However, a strong palm pressed the back of her hand, pushing it forward.