The Secret Cult Chronicles of the Decaying Lake Manor

Chapter 94 Plague and Flies (22) Baptism with the Holy Spirit and Fire

The Viscount carried Frederick toward the spiral staircase at the end of the corridor.

George followed behind, his gaze unconsciously falling on the figure's back, and a thought arose in his mind.

He quietly adjusted his breathing, focusing his mind on the warm spiritual fire within his body.

The familiar diamond-blue view unfolds, the corridor, the gaslights, the figures—everything is bathed in a flowing radiance.

He "looked" at the viscount walking ahead—and then his eyes twitched wildly.

In that azure vision, the Viscount's image was completely different from before.

It wasn't the stiff, wax-like appearance of the previous one, nor was it the intensely burning flame wrapped in black threads.

His features are still clear, even more "real" than before, as if drawn with more delicate strokes.

Judging from the phenomena described by the inspector, this is certainly a sign of improvement.

但—

The azure light cluster that had been entrenched in the heart area, and the jet-black dot above the head, all disappeared.

Instead, a large amount of dark, viscous, sludge-like black shadow spread from his spine, like black veins, covering his entire torso.

Interspersed among those black shadows were scattered dark red stains, like sunspots on the surface of the sun pulsating with each breath.

Those dark red stains exuded a familiar scent—the scent of "Lord of the Flies".

George's heart clenched suddenly.

They then arrived at the entrance to the tower.

With a wave of his hand, the iron gate, engraved with reliefs of the sun, moon, celestial bodies, and angels holding candles, swung wide open.

After George entered the room, he discovered that the corridor was no longer the narrow, cramped one-way street he had come from.

He saw a wide arcade branching out from beside the stone steps behind the door, leading to two doorways hidden in the shadows on either side.

Various intricate and ancient reliefs appeared on the walls—the changing constellations, a bull bathed in flames, and a boy born from an egg.

The viscount continued leading his levitating brother toward the stairs.

George noticed that although his steps were steady, each step seemed to tremble slightly.

"Father?"

Suddenly, the viscount swayed, his once steady steps became unsteady, and he leaned to one side.

George quickly stepped forward and reached out to help.

In that instant, the viscount suddenly turned his head.

That face, which had been perfectly normal, now had an eerie, ashen look.

Fine beads of cold sweat appeared on his forehead, and the clarity in his eyes was instantly replaced by stiffness.

"Don't touch me—"

He opened his mouth as if to say something, but his voice became unusually dry.

"It's alright, George."

His hand was still supporting Frederick, but the support had clearly become unstable, and Frederick's body began to sway, as if he might fall at any moment.

The viscount, trembling, took a small crystal bottle from the inside pocket of his morning robe.

The bottle contained a gemstone no bigger than the tip of a thumb, its entire surface gleaming with a deep purple light.

The viscount uncorked the bottle, poured the amethyst directly into his mouth, and swallowed it.

In an instant, something unexpected happened.

Starting with the viscount's face, a layer of dazzling light covered his skin.

The fire of a diamond.

Countless tiny and perfect facets appeared on his body, and every ray of light reflected, refracted, and dispersed, enveloping his entire body in a dazzling shell of light.

Her originally pale skin instantly became translucent, like a portrait sculpted from the purest crystal.

The turbidity in his eyes was swept away, replaced by an inhuman clarity.

George inexplicably thought of the word "Mount Miaoguye".

The viscount straightened up.

All the weakness and trembling vanished as if they had never existed.

He straightened his collar, and his voice regained its composure.

"Alright, let's go."

George followed behind him, his palms sweating profusely.

He knew very well that, given the Viscount's current state—no matter what the amethyst was or how short-lived its effects were—if the Viscount wanted to do something to him now, he would have absolutely no chance of resisting.

The Viscount seemed to sense George's observation. Without turning around, he continued walking, explaining at a pace as calm as if discussing the weather: "I must maintain my strength until the final handover. Slaying the Abyss Dweller's remnant at the bottom of the lake depleted most of my reserves. To ensure you smoothly take over, I must resort to some—extraordinary measures."

He paused for a moment, but continued walking.

"Once Frederick's alienation is reversed, I will tell you the truth about those disasters, and—what the Delapor family truly faced."

The stone steps continue downwards.

George estimated that they had already descended at least four floors and were still going.

Is this the basement of the tower? Or have we already entered the deeper geological structure of the island?

However, judging from the previous situation in the corridor, this place was clearly subjected to some unknown supernatural power.

Finally, they reached the end of the stone steps and stepped into a spacious circular hall.

The hall has an extremely high dome, with a huge circular dome embedded in the center. For some reason, this provides light similar to that of the midday sun inside the building, creating a bright spot of light on the ground.

There are seven tightly closed stone doors on the surrounding walls, each carved with intricate astrolabe patterns.

The floor is paved with black and white marble, forming a spiral pattern that eventually leads to a slightly raised, altar-like circular stone platform in the center of the hall.

The viscount walked toward the stone door facing the entrance, which opened by itself as he approached, and George followed him inside.

Based on the knowledge mentioned in the Book of Thresholds, George discovered that the structure of this room clearly drew inspiration from the ancient Sun Cave Temple—long, narrow, and ending in a semi-circular apse.

Perhaps other elements were also incorporated, with the walls hollowed out into honeycomb-like niches containing various shapes of pottery jars and metal utensils.

The ground is engraved with intricate geometric lines that intersect to form multiple focal points.

Deep inside, a huge black stone slab lay flat on a support. The surface of the slab was as smooth as a mirror, and its material and purpose were unknown.

"This structure is modeled after the hidden sun caves of the Mithraic religion, and also references the symbolic structure of certain ancient temples concerning rebirth and transformation." The Viscount walked to the black stone slab and gently stroked its cool surface.

The Viscount entered the cave, and Frederick, who was hovering behind him, slowly floated in and finally landed on the stone slab.

"This is one of the places where our family has performed certain key ceremonies throughout history."

The Viscount stood before the platform, his back to George, his figure appearing lonely in the dim light.

"Some rituals need to borrow ancient forms and draw upon specific powers and symbols."

George then asked at the opportune moment, "Are you going to use a ritual to reverse the changes in Fred?"

The Viscount turned his head and looked intently at George: "Simply put, I will baptize him with the Holy Spirit and fire."

George paused for a moment: "Baptism?"