My dear witch, please turn evil according to the script!

Chapter 193 Overlapping Spaces

The storm finally subsided the following afternoon.

This was somewhat unexpected by everyone.

According to the original plan, the group should have already found the Iris and boarded it to conduct their investigation.

Right now, they are still at the academy's offshore exploration base, just preparing to set off.

With everything arranged properly, especially with communication and assistance issues resolved, this short voyage is about to reach its destination.

"Max, I'm sorry I can't take you with me this time, I..."

"Alright, Götze, I'm your first mate and the branch chairman. I know what's important and what's urgent."

Max patted Götze on the shoulder: "If you haven't returned in two days, the Institute headquarters will activate the teleportation array to transfer all personnel in the base."

"Don't worry, they've already tested it, and with the help of the spatial stabilizing anchor released by Ms. Flam, the teleportation array is working perfectly and there won't be any problems."

Götze laughed: "I thought you'd complain a bit."

"Haha, I'm not some young upstart like Allen anymore. Let's go, Captain, the whole ship is waiting for you."

Max nudged his old friend and said, "Make sure you come back alive. I'm not good at handling paperwork."

Götze smiled, then turned and walked up the gangway.

Under the watchful eyes of the wounded who remained at the base, the dock gates opened wide.

The Pomegranate Flower, this giant ship that once carried the ambition of humankind, is now setting sail again for the distant seas that humanity has never truly understood, carrying a new mission.

……

On the ship, after leaving the dock, the weather was unexpectedly clear.

Perhaps the terrifying storm had temporarily cleared away the eeriness on the sea, and the afternoon's voyage went very smoothly.

Even without enough manpower to operate it, their target, the Iris, which had disappeared thirty years ago, remained hovering over a fixed sea area under Roland's magical tracking.

So much so that Götze only needed to make the ships run at full speed along the preset route.

After just one hour of full-speed sailing, the Pomegranate Flower arrived at its target area before dusk.

A sea area that is always shrouded in a mysterious, thick fog.

The area shrouded in fog was not large, but it was precisely because of this that the fog-shrouded sea area appeared eerie.

This is clearly not some special natural phenomenon.

But as the threads of Origin Tracking disappeared into the mist, Götze also spoke over the loudspeaker to the squad members who were already on standby on the deck: "Gentlemen, this ship can only take you this far."

"The ship carries lifeboats with a capacity of twenty people."

"As per the previous plan, the two hatters and the remaining crew will stay on the Pomegranate Flower to provide support. We will remain in this position and wait for you to return."

"By the way, this is a navigation device that can help you find the Pomegranate Flower."

"In addition, the lifeboats have limited energy supplies... You must use them as sparingly as possible."

As the lifeboat was lowered by the crew, the small, yellow-painted boat began to sail into the fog.

At the same time, the illusory tree shadows reappeared, and with the magic infused by the Hatter who remained on the ship, the runes left by Roland's mark once again took effect.

While not as much as Roland himself had released, it was enough to provide some protection.

After doing all this, the two hatters who remained looked at Götze.

"Give the order, Captain, what's the next step?"

"...collect all the weapons and supplies on the ship and move them onto the deck."

Götze quickly gave the order: "We all have to stay together until they come back."

"Lady Flam left behind a spatial stabilizing rune, so this time the situation won't be the same as last time."

"But the monsters in the sea are still something we need to face."

……

Inside the lifeboat, the majority of the judges fell silent.

While aboard the Pomegranate, Roland had indeed interacted with them.

Overall, these guys who look serious are actually quite easy to talk to.

But at this moment, they acted like a legendary inquisitor from the Vatican's Inquisition.

Solemn, calm, serious... filled with murderous intent.

Roland turned to look at Suren behind him, who was doing the same, and asked the question he had wanted to know since the start of the trip: "What is the Vatican's objective for this trip?"

"The Grand Inquisitor who disappeared on the ship thirty years ago?"

"At this point, you should be able to tell me the answer by now, right?"

As Roland asked the question, he steered the lifeboat along the direction from which the magic threads of the Origin Tracking were derived.

Suren was silent for a moment, then gave a somewhat helpless smile: "You already knew all that, didn't you?"

“It really is… Until you confirm it, this is just a guess.” Roland continued, “Is he special?”

“…Hmm.” Suren nodded. “It’s special to me, at least.”

“He is my grandfather, although I only know about him from the stories my father told me.”

"A role model of the Inquisition, a rival for the position of Cardinal, a legendary swordsman whose fame spread throughout the world... Father always liked to tell these stories."

Suren sighed, "But the protagonist of these stories is never the same person. Cognitive interference still affected him."

"Until recently... when a loophole appeared in the cognitive interference, the interference disappeared."

“That’s how I learned everything.” Roland asked with a smile, “Is that why you got involved in the operation?”

"No, it's all still the Vatican's order. I'm sorry... I can't disclose the rest." Suren smiled politely, then closed his eyes to rest, holding his sword.

Roland shrugged, then looked at Cellina, who was equally unsettled beside him.

Even though the other person hadn't said a word since boarding the lifeboat, Roland could still sense his good comrade's tension.

He just didn't know what to say to Cellina, after all, she was different from Kalia and Iluvia.

She is more mature and knows better what she wants.

She has the ability to regulate herself.

As for Flam, the main combat force on this trip, she is currently studying how to dispel the spell of the divine descent ritual.

Even though she had been preparing for this for a long time, the legendary magician was still inevitably nervous at this moment.

Perhaps the only one who wasn't nervous was Nash, who was hiding in Roland's arms.

After turning back into a cat, the little guy hid in the inside pocket of Roland's coat, occasionally peeking out with his cat head to look outside.

Actually, Nash wasn't originally supposed to be on this mission; that silly cat was supposed to stay at the base.

But she eventually said she felt unsafe not being with Roland and Cellina, so she insisted on coming along.

"Meow... Roland, are we there yet?"

"It's just a lifeboat, so it's not fast, but it's getting closer. I can feel the target getting closer."

As soon as he finished speaking, Roland immediately stopped the lifeboat.

In the thick fog that made it almost impossible to see the sea, a slightly dilapidated ship suddenly appeared in front of Roland.

If he hadn't reacted quickly, the lifeboat would have crashed into it.

"Target found, everyone, prepare to board." Roland left the helm and looked up at the equally enormous sailing warship before him.

The group of people were no ordinary people; they easily jumped onto the abandoned ship that had been missing for thirty years.

After Roland tied the lifeboat to the Iris with a rope, the formal operation began.

The group ultimately decided to act together.

Suren felt that it was better to follow Roland than to wander aimlessly on the ship like a headless fly.

At least Roland knew where the person they were looking for was.

Once they find Ms. Natalia, Suren will be able to ask her some questions.

If the other party is still alive.

However, since the soul still exists, even if someone is dead, they can still communicate through special means.

However, the operation did not proceed smoothly.

Almost immediately, the previously empty deck was stretched countless times.

The space seemed to expand infinitely at this moment, giving the deck an area that defied all logic.

Most importantly, the sudden anomaly scattered the team.

When Roland came to his senses, only Cellina and Nash remained by his side.

Fortunately, this was only a spatial anomaly, and the communication magic was not affected.

The operatives quickly established contact with each other using communication magic.

Everyone is still on deck, but not on the same deck.

Frum and Delan, who had come aboard with them, were assigned to the same group.

Suren was with all the judges and was not separated, making them the most powerful squad at present.

The spatial structure underwent an incomprehensible change at this moment, and even the remnant soul of the Demon King at Roland's waist could not immediately provide a solution.

Spatial stabilizing anchors are also ineffective because the space here is already exceptionally stable.

After a conversation with Flam, the Demon King's remnant soul and Flam reached a conclusion.

The three groups of people are currently in three similar yet different spaces.

On the Iris, there is currently a small spatial anomaly.

To put it simply, from an outsider's perspective, there was only one Iris.

However, in reality, there were three Iris ships at the same location as the Iris.

The current squad members are on three different Iris ships.

"Kid... if things get out of control, remember to use the Boundary-Breaking Spear."

After confirming the situation, the Demon King said quietly, "Of course, this is the last resort. Unleash the Boundary-Breaking Spear with all your might. If it doesn't work the first time, try a few more times."

"The spatial anomalies on this ship are most likely caused by the aftereffects of the divine descent ritual."

"Let's try to erase the effects of the divine descent ritual first."

“You know where it is… Don’t forget what I said, the soul will be bound to the site of the descent of the gods.”

Roland nodded, then looked at Cellina and smiled: "Next, let's go find Ms. Natalia."

Roland was not alarmed or uneasy about what was happening before him, after all, he had already learned about the possible scenarios before he came.

He summoned the Spear of the Sun, with several spears hovering beside him. He held one in one hand and the Sword of Silence in the other.

“Cellina, let’s go find your old friend.”

(End of this chapter)