Soul Trigger

Chapter 666 Weird

Clint Gary's residence.

The three members of the Knights Squad gathered in the basement. Sika opened her eyes, put down the human skin she was holding, and Angelica's voice came from beside her:

"how?"

Sika said cautiously:
"That's right, it's the spiritual aura of a Dead Apostle. The remaining curse has tendencies toward control and destruction, which may be the reason for his silence and death."

The tattered human skin was the remains of the gravedigger after his death.

The atmosphere suddenly became somewhat somber. Andrew said:
"Neither the captain nor the Deadwater Knight noticed..."

Sika shook her head: "The spiritual circuits are etched under the skin, just like someone etched them into the dermis from inside his body, reaching the benchmark level of a master's work."

“No wonder… This confirms that it is indeed possible that the Dead Apostles are behind this. Captain, then can we…”

Angelica shook her head:

“I already reported to the station this morning that a Red Hunter, codenamed ‘Shepherd,’ is currently in the territory of Saint-Germain County. He is not far from our location and has requested our assistance in hunting down the Dead Apostles.”

Red Hunter...

The other two gasped in shock:
"Is it that madman who caused such a big commotion in Birmingham before?"

"What bad luck..."

Within the Awakened Organization on White Island, few want to have even the slightest connection with the Dead Apostles, partly due to the danger, but also because of the Red Hunters—

Nobody wants to deal with these madmen who wield so much power.

Angelica sighed:

"Anyway, the clues have progressed, and it's good that everyone is safe."

"Where's that bastard Bordeaux?"

“Outside,” Andrew said. “But you can’t really blame him, can you? From his perspective, killing Pulitzer was indeed the best option…”

"Whose side are you on?" Sica frowned immediately, glaring at Andrew. "I don't know why, but I always feel like there's something strange about him, but I can't quite put my finger on it..."

Angelica recalled the moment when she clashed with the Dead Water Knight, and the opponent's mercury suddenly froze for a split second:

“There’s something fishy about it. Because Pulitzer’s abilities do indeed affect him and pose a certain threat to him…”

Sika said gravely, "Take this opportunity to eliminate the threat..."

Andrew shrugged: "But we haven't reported 'Reef's' abilities and rules yet. He shouldn't know about this. And even so, is it really necessary to take action against an apprentice?"

"What if he had already come into contact with the reef? What if he had gone upstream?"

Angelica glanced at Andrew:

"In short, remain vigilant against him. Even with the added protection of the Torture Armor to keep an eye on him, do not let your guard down."

"Understood," the two replied in unison.

“Speaking of which…” Sika looked at Angelica, her eyes suddenly becoming strange: “Captain, are you alright?”

Angelica was startled, then remembered to take out the blood drink from her waist:
"Not counting."

This action clearly did not dispel Sika's suspicions, because compared to a few days ago, Angelica was now in high spirits, her eyes were shining, and she looked much more radiant.

He immediately leaned forward and chuckled:
"Whose blood did you drink?"

Angelica frowned:
"Don't talk nonsense."

"So what exactly is so good about the Pulitzer Prize?"

When Pulitzer was mentioned, a mischievous, unnatural glint flashed in Angelica's eyes:
“His soul is special; it can contain multiple spiritual substances. Although I performed bloodletting therapy on him, it was mainly his own power that took effect.”

"A human spirit that has completely absorbed the power of the Dead Apostles... This is truly unheard of. Could it be a born Split-type?"

"He has no history of mental illness, but we cannot rule out that possibility."

Angelica clapped her hands:

Alright, enough of this small talk.

I'll leave the gravedigger's matter to Andrew to handle with the town, while I organize the data and intelligence, coordinate with the institute, and also take care of Pulitzer and Equiel.

Sika, take Jason around town and ask around about that nursery rhyme. Find a clue as soon as possible.

"understand!"

Angelica breathed a slight sigh of relief as she watched the two leave the basement.

Even she has her moments when she has to change the subject in front of her subordinates... After all, she doesn't intend to tell the truth.

Although the situation was indeed urgent, it had escalated to that point, and with Pulitzer, a teenager... she was still somewhat embarrassed to talk about it.

Even so, she still finds it hard to believe the surge of spiritual energy within her body.

Her breakthrough when Andrew was in danger was the result of years of hard work and dedication; she was just one step away from success.

But Pulitzer's spiritual blood allowed her to touch the threshold of the next level not long after she broke through to the sixth rank—

Peak Domination.

The supreme ruler of White Island is known as the "Four-Word Ruler," and this is also the watershed moment for knights to become lords.

Knights learn "oaths," while lords learn "laws."

Although Angelica was not qualified to become a Law Lord, the prospect of becoming a Knight of One Word so quickly made her doubt reality and dispel her idea of ​​immediately telling others.

This is very unusual.

After calming herself down, Angelica took out a pendant from her pocket:
World Tree Imprint.

This was not from Jansen, but was found in the gravedigger's dwelling.

……

Inside the room, Ji Li was sitting on the bed, receiving a loving meal from his younger sister:
"I said, since you're in a wheelchair, why don't I do it myself..."

"Shut up and don't move around. I'm still feeling tired even after stretching."

Sitting in his wheelchair, Aigui glared back at Ji Li, then shoved a piece of steak from his fork towards Ji Li's mouth.
"what."

"what."

"What the hell are you yelling at? Give it to me!"

Aiguil stuffed the food into Ji Li's mouth, and then the knife, fork, and plate made a crisp clinking sound.

Although the severed limbs in the demonized state do not actually affect Aquile's physical body, the damage to her soul is real.

She is currently in recovery and cannot walk, so she can only sit in a wheelchair that Sika made for her.

Speaking of which, this guy is practically a jack-of-all-trades in the team. He's got a little bit of everything, from spiritual circuits to soul healers.

"What's the situation outside now?"

"That's how it is, still under investigation. But it's completely confirmed that the gravedigger was cursed by the Dead Apostles."

The so-called curse is actually a spiritual spell with a relatively long duration of effect, which silences the gravedigger in front of the knight squad and eventually causes him to self-destruct.

But Ji Li still has one problem:
"How did that Dead Apostle crawl out of his body?"

“Good question, I’d like to know that too, but Ms. Laurent didn’t say.”

The Dead Apostle hidden inside the Gravedigger's body went unnoticed not only by others, but even by the true Immortal himself, and the Dead Apostle's condition was also very strange.

He didn't know whether it was some kind of special spiritual technique or the effect achieved by some kind of spiritual circuit.

However, the person behind the scenes may have already realized that he used the gravedigger to obtain information.

As for the scarecrow, although he did bite it to pieces, he didn't think the mastermind would die so easily.

Because Ji Li has been using clones and various identities to cover himself up, in order to confuse the public and create a vicious cycle.

The fact that the other party has not shown up indicates that he is also a cautious person and will definitely take similar measures.

"I don't know when this will end... Ms. Laurent said that the remains of the scarecrow were taken away after it died, but the real mastermind still hasn't appeared."

Aquil forked another piece of steak for him. To be honest, the beef wasn't very good; it was a bit tough and chewy, since Aquil had cooked it himself.
"Couldn't you chew it up for me while you're at it?"

"Are you crazy? How am I supposed to feed you if you chew it up?"

"You can feed me with your mouth." "How come I never noticed how disgusting you were before..."

Aquil rolled her eyes and vomited.

"Ms. Laurent obtained a World Tree Mark, which, together with the one in Jason's hand, makes two, but the location has not yet been found, nor has the origin of the Black Scarecrow been determined."

Ms. Laurent said that someone took away the spiritual residue from the scarecrow's death, which indicates that there are other masterminds behind it all..."

Ji Li said, "It's also possible that the scarecrow isn't the real thing at all?"

"What do you mean, a clone? That's actually quite possible... Since monsters have so many 'superpowers,' it's not unimaginable that they could create clones?"

The inexperienced Aquile felt his mind was opened up:
"Is it possible that the Dead Apostle is hiding in the Gravedigger's Well of Souls?"

"You're really dreaming."

"No, didn't Sika say that the gravedigger said something about the Well of Souls at the end?"

Ji Li was slightly taken aback.

Beware of the Well of Souls... because the person controlling the Gravekeepers can hide inside the Well of Souls?
Or rather, he was able to hide the Dead Apostles in the Well of Souls?

Ji Li gradually frowned.

If that's the case...

He could hide in the well of the soul of anyone in the town, even in the well of the soul of the knights, or even in the well of the soul of Aquil.

No, I can't keep arguing with Aquile. I need to find some time to check on the remnants Clementine brought back.

Because of the two Dead Apostles, Angelica has now ordered everyone to live at headquarters and not go home, especially the three little ones (Jansen, Equal, and Pulitzer).

This somewhat restricted Ji Li's actions.

The steak was finished. Aquile sat in his wheelchair, holding the plate, and suddenly stared blankly, looking as if he wanted to say something but couldn't.

"Is there anything else you want to say?"

"Oh...Ms. Laurent has called for backup. We're supposed to work with some Red Hunters..."

“You already mentioned this when you brought the food in, shepherd.”

"Oh……"

"Do you have anything else to say?"

Aquil hesitated for a few breaths:

"We almost went down this time."

"I know."

"Do you know how anxious I was?"

"I know, I'm actually quite panicked too."

"Nonsense, you're not panicking at all!"

Aquil's expression changed slightly, and he stared intently at Ji Li:

“You’re not flustered at all…”

"how do I say this?"

Aquil's fingers, which were holding the plate, gradually turned white, and her voice suddenly trembled slightly:
"...From the moment you woke up until now, no...from the moment we were captured by the scarecrow until now, you've been like this...you haven't panicked at all."

Whether it was during a foggy day, during a test, or this scarecrow incident, you showed no fear or confusion whatsoever...

Whenever I realize this, I can't help but speculate on a possibility..."

Seeing that Ji Li remained silent and only stared at her, Aiquier bit her lower lip, a barely perceptible hint of panic appearing in her eyes:

"...Are you really Pulitzer?"

Did you start to have doubts because the response was too lukewarm?
Ji Li had to admit that he was indeed not a good actor.

He had experienced many espionage operations in the past at Murphy's Big House, but his pride would never allow him to show weakness, even when he was playing the victim and needed to show weakness.

It can only be said that he has his own style, and he will use other techniques to cover up these flaws in his performance. Now, with the blessing of the Crimson Ritual, there is even less need to worry about this aspect.

But clearly, Aquile, as a family member, sensed something amiss:

"Are you asking these questions because you've started to feel afraid? Do you regret becoming an Awakened One?"

Aquile was suddenly taken aback:
"Nonsense, I didn't!"

"It's okay, I'm your brother after all, I won't laugh at you. Come here, let your brother give you a hug..."

"Get lost! Who wants you to hug them!"

Aquil dodged suddenly, and in the blink of an eye, the plate clattered to the ground, creating a mess, followed by a loud thud.

"Hold!"

Aiquier struggled to crawl on the ground, clinging to the edge of Ji Li's bed, trying to get up:

"Pulitzer, are you out of your mind? Hug me, are you okay now? Damn my leg...you..."

Before she could finish speaking, she suddenly felt a lightness on her body as she was lifted up in a horizontal embrace. When she looked up, she saw Ji Li's profile.

"See, I still managed to hug you."

Aquil: "..."

Then I slapped his chin:
"Okay, put me down! I'll have them clean up this mess! I'm not scared anymore, alright!"

After the room was tidy again, Aiguier left hurriedly with a red face, managing to get away with it.

Clementine appeared beside Ji Li, looking utterly smug.

"You two have such a good relationship..."

"Of course, we are half-siblings."

"If she knew the real Pulitzer was long dead, she'd probably corrupt herself into a monster on the spot..."

"Just don't let her know."

Ji Li flicked the nun's forehead:

"Isn't it nice to be immersed in a beautiful dream and have an excellent older brother?"

"Then what if..."

"There are no 'what ifs.' Where is it?"

"here."

Clementine took out a small bottle and handed it to Ji Li.

He grabbed the bottle and examined it for a moment, then used his spiritual energy to probe it:
"It's a little weird indeed."

After examining the area carefully, Ji Li suddenly opened his eyes:

"It's not just strange..."

The malevolent spirits within are mixed with the spirits of human beings.

and……

The red-flesh Dead Apostle he killed had a similar spiritual composition to the Scarecrow Dead Apostle, and these similarities were exactly the same.

This means that these two Dead Apostles share the same origin, and they are very likely clones.

But compared to creating a clone, Ji Li considered another possibility...

After he had Clementine lock the door, he took out the skull ring, put it on, and began to call upon the tombstone.

"In trouble?"

Ji Li raised his palm, allowing the skull to swallow both portions of the spiritual residue:
"Take a look at this thing for me."

As a red light flashed in the skull's eyes, a subtle chuckle emanated from the tombstone after a long silence:

"Odin, you've encountered a big fish..."

(End of this chapter)