Mystery: Good Witch

Chapter 1355 The Sun and the Moon

Partisan Island, New Silver City.

As the crimson moon rose, the city, whose buildings and roads were several sizes larger than those of other cities, was enveloped in a soft yet somewhat eerie moonlight and gradually quieted down.

Some of the more intuitive residents of Silver City have noticed that the moon seems to have grown considerably larger in the past year, but when compared with other fixed reference points, they find that this is not the case. They can only attribute this to a change in mysticism, which may be related to the fact that the Church of the Goddess of Night no longer preaches prayers related to the moon, but instead the Church of the Earth Mother has written them into the scriptures.

Standing on the protruding balcony at the waist of the Twin Towers' dome, "The Sun" Derrick took one last look at the somewhat bewitching red moon, then turned and entered the tower, descending the spiral staircase paved with black stone bricks.

He walked very slowly, as if there was something terrifying at the bottom of the tower. His gaze kept sweeping over the black grass growing in the cracks between the bricks on both sides of the wall, watching it sometimes droop and sometimes sway in the wind.

Upon reaching the central hall at the base of the tower, where the spire with its library and other public facilities connected to the dome tower where the Council of Seven's offices were located, Derrick saw Wait Hillmont, bald with dark blue symbols tattooed on his head and dressed in full armor, and Lovia Tiffany, whose beauty had become even more striking, wearing a black robe with purple stripes.

The former became a "Silver Knight" long before Silver City evacuated from the "Forsaken Land" and came to this sunlit land. He is calm and has rich combat experience. The latter recently successfully advanced to the "Three-Headed Sanctuary". It is said that he has already shepherded the souls of five saints and is the strongest extraordinary being in the new Silver City.

Before her promotion, through Derrick's connections, "Miss Justice" provided a thorough psychological treatment for Lovia, who suffered from schizophrenia due to the psychological trauma of her lover's death. Currently, Lovia has no psychological or spiritual problems.

Apart from the rotating chief, all the strongest council members were here... Derrick, who had already been promoted to "Mentor of Justice" and was digesting the potion while practicing his inner beliefs, pondered, nodded to his two companions, and took the lead towards the stairs leading to the underground.

As they descended, passing through a deep, dark dungeon and an area sealed with a Level 1 artifact, the three arrived at a double stone door.

Before Derrick could make a move, Lovia, whose height had gradually shrunk after two advancements to Saint level, was now about the same as that of an ordinary woman in the outside world. Therefore, in Silver City, where the average height was over two meters, Lovia appeared petite and cute first and steadily pushed open the heavy door.

I always felt that Ms. Lovia had become much more cheerful after receiving psychological treatment. The change in height might be due to her high-sequence ability of being proficient in flesh magic, but she paid more attention to her appearance and was no longer withdrawn or gloomy. This could not be explained by the change in the potion... Derrick looked at Lovia's petite figure and suddenly remembered the younger one of the two shadowy extra heads that grew on her shoulders during the battle of the "Three-Headed Sanctuary".

As he continued to ponder, the three of them had already entered the core of the underground area by following the damp steps surrounded by wheat mushrooms and black grass.

This is a large room nearly ten meters high and several tens of meters in diameter. Although there are no windows or candlelight, it is filled with the light of dawn and the smell of earth and the fragrance of flowers and plants. The ceiling and the surrounding walls are covered with black grass, which sways along with the plants on the ground.

But in contrast to the warm and vibrant scene, an invisible aura of desolation and death instantly enveloped the three of them. Derrick immediately came to Waiter and Lovia, letting himself emit holy sunlight, merging with the surrounding dawn, repelling the power of death.

Before him stood a withered tree trunk that almost reached the ceiling, planted on a mound of earth that rose above the surrounding land. A human-shaped pattern growing from the hollowed-out heart of the tree was facing him, and blood vessels seemed to be growing within the wood grain.

This is one of the most important and dangerous seals in New Silver City: the Gift of the Earth.

Normally, this seal, which is equivalent to the "Mother" pathway sequence 2 and has no extraordinary characteristics remaining inside, can be completely suppressed by another level 0 seal, "Proof of Glory". But now, the seal has been actively weakened.

Silver City is making a deal tonight with the Church of the Eternal Sun, exchanging this uncontrollable, unusable, and useless sealed artifact for a Sequence 2 "Light Chaser" trait.

For over 2,500 years, trapped in darkness, the "gift of the earth" brought Silver City enough food to sustain it, but also an unbearable "curse of patricide." This pain has long been ingrained in the blood of all its inhabitants and has become a part of history.

Now, they finally have the opportunity to dispose of this relic from "Omibella" in exchange for the birth of an angel belonging to Silver City.

Moreover, this would free up the "Proof of Glory," which would otherwise be used almost entirely to suppress the sealed artifact. Whether given to the elderly but experienced Colin Iliad or to the prime-aged Wait Hillmon, it would give them the opportunity to advance to Sequence 2.

Trading a sealed artifact that is now just a nuisance for two angels is undoubtedly a worthwhile deal in the face of the impending apocalypse. Derrick's only question is, what use does the Church of the Eternal Sun have for the "Gift of the Earth"?

Although the outside world was unaware of this, Derrick had already learned of the fall of that deity through exchanges within the Tarot Society and had discussed the matter in a small circle within Silver City. Therefore, all three present understood that the Church of the Eternal Sun no longer had a true deity, and most likely only had two Sequence 1 characteristics left, three to five angels, and no more than ten level 0 sealed artifacts.

This is even worse than the "Church of Fools" and the "Church of the End Times"... Derrick pondered, glancing sideways at Lovia, who had come with him to participate in the transaction in case she had ulterior motives. He was even more curious as to why this council member, who was originally radical and eccentric, had not opposed the transaction.

Could it be that she already knows that the Eternal Sun is now almost equivalent to that "true creator"? Is this related to her increasingly improved mental state? She didn't mention the source of her potion that propelled her to Sequence 3; could it be a gift from that god...?

With a thousand thoughts racing through his mind, Derrick was about to say something when he suddenly sensed something. The divine light he released suddenly erupted, almost filling the entire underground space and swallowing all the points of dawn light from the "Proof of Glory," shrouding the three of them and the withered tree trunk in front of them in scorching sunlight.

But these lights did not belong to Derrick; instead, they quickly converged in another location, outlining a figure with wings on its back. Its appearance was beautiful and holy, and its body, draped in a pure white robe, floated in mid-air. Its bare feet touched the ground, and its hands were slightly raised, as if embracing all things.

Angel—that was Derrick and the others' first reaction upon seeing the other party. It wasn't a perception of the extraordinary sequence, but rather an assessment of the appearance of this figure with angelic wings.

The light gradually faded, solidifying into a golden glow emanating from the body of the woman with almost white blonde hair and slowly folding wings. Only then did Derrick see her face clearly, and he immediately lowered his head again, saying respectfully:

“Your Highness Saint Viev, we are ready to proceed with the transaction.”

The arrival of this woman, who had recently been promoted to Sequence 1 "Pure White Angel," was not unexpected to him. After all, she was the only female angel in the Church of the Eternal Sun, and naturally had a certain advantage when carrying the "Gift of the Earth."

If a saint who is not an angel comes to receive this sealed artifact, he will most likely die the moment he touches it.

Upon hearing his words, the pure white angel nodded slightly, her gaze falling upon the withered tree trunk.

As if exposed to the midday sun, the cracks in the tree bark, which were still somewhat bloodshot, widened as if they were cracking. The cutouts that formed the half-body image of a woman also changed, and the face became extremely distorted, as if in pain or shouting something.

It was like meeting an enemy? Or perhaps it was like finding a relative, no, like a daughter meeting her father... Derrick also looked at "The Gift of the Earth," feeling inexplicably moved.

But as the sunlight grew stronger and enveloped the tree trunk, Derrick had to squint and became somewhat wary.

Was Saint Vieuf, the "Pure White Angel," planning to steal the sealed artifact and run away? He forced his eyes open and turned to the other side, only to find that the woman floating in the air had indeed disappeared.

The tree trunk buried in the mound was also swallowed by the sunlight and completely disappeared. Only a ray of sunlight, seemingly solidified, remained in place, exuding a holy and scorching aura under the clusters of morning light.

It was the extraordinary characteristic of the "Light Chasers"... Derrick, being a Sequence 3 of the same path, immediately understood. He was first excited, but then felt a sense of loss at the true departure of the "Gifts of the Earth".

He turned to look at Waiter and Lovia beside him and found that their faces showed no joy at the successful completion of the transaction, only a bewilderment of having lost something.

— In the Southern Continent, there is an ancient castle located on the outskirts of a city, hidden among mountains and dense forests.

This place was originally a dwelling built by vampires among the followers of the "Primal Moon". After these followers of the evil god were driven out and eliminated, it fell into the hands of the vampires of the Earth Mother Goddess Church and became a gathering place for these extraordinary people who do not like to live in sunny cities.

Emlyn, the "Moon," and Derrick, the "Sun," who was thousands of miles away, stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window high up, gazing at the crimson moon in the sky, which looked much larger than before.

Of course, to ordinary people, it was just an ordinary night, and the moon was not a "blood moon".

But to Emlyn, the moon was dreamlike and enchanting, as if it were about to fall to the earth, which stirred his spirituality.

What gave him this feeling of unease was not only the spiritual rhythm under the red moon, but also the dream that woke him up at dusk.

It was Lilith, the progenitor of the vampires, who, in a daze, hid in the shadows and whose plump and beautiful silhouette was the instruction she gave him. She hoped that he could advance as soon as possible when the apocalypse came, protect the vampires, and help everyone survive the apocalypse.

He had not yet verified the authenticity of the dream's prophecy with the chosen ones of the Church of Mother Earth, but instinctively believed it to be true, because it did not involve any specific matters, and helping his fellow vampires had always been what he, as the "savior," had been doing.

The only question is, were Lilith's instructions only directed at Emlyn, or at all vampires? Does this foreshadow that the progenitor is about to encounter some difficulties, or even face the risk of her demise?

Emlyn, who has witnessed the fall of several gods in recent years, no longer believes that gods are eternal beings; they are powerful, but not immortal.

Just as his thoughts were in turmoil, Emlyn's spiritual awareness kicked in. He left the huge French windows that faced the red moon and returned to the interior of the castle, where he met a visitor in the reception hall.

"Ms. Sharon."

Emlyn subconsciously straightened the collar of his tuxedo and gave a gentlemanly bow to the young woman who had appeared on the sofa at some point.

The blonde woman, dressed in a Gothic court dress and wearing a small soft hat, sat upright like a delicate puppet, merely nodding in response to Emlyn's manners. She then picked up an envelope from her knees and handed it directly to him.

No matter how many times I saw her, I always thought she was a perfect puppet. Back then, I even thought it would be perfect if Ms. Sharon couldn't move or talk. Now she really doesn't talk anymore... Could it be because she has completed the "puppet" stage and advanced to Sequence 3...? Emlyn was taken aback, but he concealed his emotional change very well. He sat opposite Sharon, took the envelope, opened it, and began to read.

It was a pre-written letter of introduction, clearly in Sharon's own handwriting. In contrast to her taciturn and aloof appearance, the letter sincerely thanked the vampires for their cooperation with the "Temperance Faction" over the past two years in eradicating the Hedonistic Faction and the followers of the "Primal Moon." It then discussed several important things they were currently doing.

First, the Temperance faction's angels and saints received a commission from the "Church of the End Times" to find the remains of a deceased person named "Giddas." In life, he was suspected to be an angel of the "Moon" pathway, but after death, he was divided into different parts, which either appeared in certain places due to aggregation or were used as sealed objects due to the power he left behind, and have been difficult to find for thousands of years.

The Temperance faction, belonging to the Church of Fools, actually accepted the Last Church's commission and the "Goddess of Calamity"... Well, the hidden part of Miss "Queen's" name clearly indicates her relationship with "Followers"... Emlyn muttered to himself, continuing to read the latter half of the letter.

Secondly, as the daughter of the former ruler of the Highlands, the "Holy Angel" Renette Tinicol is working tirelessly to free that land from colonial control and restore its freedom. With the help of two major churches and three deities, she has already made considerable progress. Therefore, the task of finding clues to "Omibella" in a small underworld within the former Highlands territory of Lacree has fallen to her.

Both of these matters have yielded considerable results thanks to the efforts of the "Temperance Faction." The cooperation of the vampires, who have already partially migrated to the Southern Continent, may be needed in the future. Establishing cooperation with the "Church of Fools" and the "Church of the End Times" in various matters is a divine decree already issued by the Earth Mother Goddess.

Historical records show that the Earth Mother Goddess has never had such an attitude towards the churches of other gods, and there have even been many divine wars and religious and national wars... Emlyn was a little curious, but dared not ask the increasingly indifferent "Queen" Miss at the Tarot meeting, and his gaze gradually moved to the last contents of the letter.

Finally, the Temperance faction members are searching for a special "blasphemous card," and this magical item, symbolizing the Mother Path and resembling the "World" card, has likely fallen into the hands of vampires.

Seeing this, Emlyn couldn't help but look up at Sharon, who was sitting expressionlessly on the sofa.

As a member of the Tarot Society, he naturally knew what the "Blasphemy Card" represented. Moreover, in the past few years, in addition to searching for Emperor Roselle's diary, the Tarot Society's ongoing mission was to collect all the scattered Blasphemy Cards. At this moment, there were already twelve cards on the table in front of Mr. Fool and Miss Queen, which meant that the Tarot Society had mastered more than half of the Extraordinary Path potion recipes!

But there wasn't a "Mother" card among them, and as a vampire marquis, I'd never heard of vampires possessing such a thing. Even if they did, it should be a "Moon" card... Emlyn pondered, then spoke:
"I will cooperate with you on the first two matters. As for the third matter... I need to consult the three dukes before I can reply."

If the "Mother" card is indeed within the vampire clan, and it's an act tacitly approved by the dukes, then taking it away would probably only be possible through the oracle of the progenitor... Emlyn understood that he didn't have enough influence within the vampire clan, so he didn't immediately agree.

Sharon nodded slightly beneath her small, soft hat, and picked up a piece of white paper with pre-written content from her knees, which were covered by lace-patterned fabric. It read:

"Thank you, Mr. Emlyn."

Emlyn straightened up a bit immediately, about to say a few insincere pleasantries, when he suddenly noticed that the colors of the carpet and coffee table between them had become extremely vibrant, as if they had turned into blocks of color in an oil painting.

Immediately, a man with bronze skin, wearing a silk top hat and a black suit slowly walked out of the void.

It was Mr. Azik Eggers, the “Angel of Death”... Emlyn, a fellow believer in the Fools and familiar with the appearances of the angels described in the scriptures, immediately stood up from the sofa, as did Sharon, whose expression was indifferent.

Compared to the two tense saints, Azik seemed rather casual. He smiled at Emlyn, then looked at Sharon and said:

“I need the exact coordinates of the location of that ‘otherworld’ in the Lacre region.”

What other world? Is it related to the Lacre region where "Omibella" is located? Emlyn was hearing this term for the first time.

Before him, the "Silent Disciple" and the "Death Archon," who could traverse the spirit world, were communicating in a peculiar language. Soon, Azik obtained the information he needed. He adjusted his top hat, gave a polite bow, and without turning around, stepped back into the spirit world. As the crimson carpet brightened once more, he disappeared before Emlyn's eyes.

"This is my home..." Emlyn stammered, then remembered that the other person was an angel. He clicked his tongue, turned his gaze to Sharon, who had also come uninvited, and his expression softened a little.

Before he could say anything, Azik silently emerged from the spirit world and appeared between the two of them.

"By the way, I also need the specific locations where the remains of 'Giddas' were found... I hope I haven't bothered you."

Looking at Emlyn and Sharon, who had returned to the sofa without making any strange moves, the "Angel of Death" felt a barely perceptible sense of loss.

(End of this chapter)