1116 Familiar Gaze (1/2)

Lovia's response made Joshua even more wary. He looked at the other members of the expedition team and anxiously asked, ”Did any of you hear any abnormal footsteps?”

With Thunder God's Roar and a broadsword in hand, Derrick recalled for a few seconds and shook his head in denial. Haim, who held the Unshadowed Crucifix in his hand, looked at the Sealed Artifact that was still glowing and replied, ”Perhaps it's your hallucination?”

”No, I heard it very clearly.” The scarlet-gloved Joshua frowned and expressed his opinion.

Upon hearing this, Demon Hunter Colin, who was walking right in front, half-turned around and calmly instructed, ”Haim, Antiona, check on Joshua's condition.”

”Yes, Your Excellency.” Haim immediately walked to Joshua and pressed the Unshadowed Crucifix which appeared to be a manifestation of pure light against his teammates' forehead.

However, this Sealed Artifact didn't undergo any changes.

Immediately following that, the wine-red-haired female warrior, Antiona, came to the side of Joshua and raised her left hand.

There was a pale gold bracelet around her wrist. On it were three small bells covered in golden scales.

The tinkling sounds that sounded calmed Joshua's heart. He was no longer as tense and impatient.

”No problem.” Antiona cast her gaze towards the Chief, Colin Iliad.

Two complex dark green symbols appeared in Colin's eyes. He looked at Joshua for a few seconds before nodding and saying, ”It might not be an illusion, but you have to be careful if any abnormalities arise within you.”

Seeing the Chief supporting him, Joshua secretly heaved a sigh of relief.

”Alright.”

After the doubts were temporarily put away, the City of Silver's expedition team continued down the staircase that was covered in the glow of sunset one level after another.

Suddenly, everyone heard a groan.

From the corner of his eye, Derrick Berg saw Joshua raise his hands and strangle his neck.

As he was a Dawn Paladin, he had immense strength. Just as he let out a grunt, his hands snapped his neck.

With a gloomy and twisted expression, Joshua collapsed, his eyes filled with disbelief.

The person who killed him was himself!

”...”Although Derrick and the others didn't manage to react in time, their years of training and the experience they had gained from exploring the depths of the darkness made them instinctively take up battle positions, wary of any subsequent attacks.

Then, they heard a muffled grunt.

It was from Shepherd Elder Lovia.

The facial muscles of the woman with long silver-gray hair tightened as obvious twitching and squirming appeared, as though another face had grown out.

She plopped to the ground on the wide staircase as she grimaced with indescribable pain.

Her hands moved slowly but uncontrollably as she clenched her neck.

Just as Lovia was about to exert her strength, two swords that were smeared with silver-gray ointment reached out and pried her palms apart.

Demon Hunter Colin, who was already prepared, reacted in time.

Lovia's body twitched as she lowered her head even further. Opening her mouth, she spat out pieces of torn flesh and incomplete organs.

She took a deep breath, as though she had finally recovered. Then, she propped her elbow on the ground and took a step forward, prostrating herself and swallowing the flesh and blood organs that she had just spat out in a pious and humble manner.

Demon Hunter Colin, who had several old scars on his face, quietly watched this scene without stopping her.

Finally, Lovia looked up and said with her unfocused gray eyes, ”It was degeneration.

”A form of degeneration that everyone has.”

”Do you have a solution?” Colin asked without any change in his tone.

Lovia nodded without hesitation.

”Yes.”

As soon as she finished speaking, she used her right hand to grab her left index finger. With a loud snap, she pulled it out and stuffed the blood and bones into her mouth. As she chewed, she muttered, ”The Lord that created everything;

”The Lord who reigns behind the curtain of shadows;

The degenerate nature of all living things...”

The honorific name of the True Creator... Derrick's eyelids twitched when he heard that. He suddenly felt that something subtle was happening around him.

The orange glow became more saturated and closer to the color of blood.

Above the gray fog, The Fool Klein's expression instantly turned solemn.

Although he couldn't see anything through his ”true vision,” he could vaguely sense that there was a gaze cast over from afar, causing it to interfere with his observations; thus, weakening his clarity and range.

In addition, that gaze gave him a strange sense of familiarity.

It's difficult to not be familiar with it. The first half of my life after I transmigrated was to deal with ”Him”—”His” son, ”His” Oracle, ”His” wish to descend, the items left behind by ”Him”, ”His” crazy ravings, and all sorts of murals related to ”Him”... At that moment, Klein was completely certain that the entity who had begun to focus on the City of Silver's expedition team was none other than the True Creator.

Frankly speaking, when Lovia began to recite the honorific name of that entity, Klein wanted to directly smite her with ”Lightning Storm” and eliminate the problem before it appeared. However, he ultimately held back the urge because he wasn't confident that he could finish off the Shepherd in one strike. The evil spirit that Lovia had ”Grazed” was likely at the level of a Sequence 3. Although it had died a long time ago, its current combined strength was still at the level of Sequence 4. It likely wasn't a problem for her to withstand ”Lightning Storm,” which was close to but not at the angel level, for some time.