Inner Destroyer

　"That's not how it works."

　Elaine shook her head, her face sad.

　"Father Amos has always been a reformist within the church, one might even say a radical. But he's also deeply trusted by the current Pope, and the conservatives have never been able to impeach him... Now that the Association has finally gotten into trouble, the conservative ministers will naturally be targeting him."

　"Is this considered particularly radical?" Qi Xing was a little surprised.

　"The priest invited a unique and eccentric person like you to work in the 'Association'. Isn't that radical enough?"

　Good job, girl.

　After hearing this, Qi Xing was speechless for a moment.

　Thinking back to what Father Amos said to him last night - "Please protect Elaine during this time." Qi Xing finally felt that something was wrong.

　Why specifically mention protecting Elaine? Father Amos himself might be involved in political issues. However, Elaine held no political status within the Vatican. She was not part of the political game.

　Although she "failed the mission", it was not her who was attacked, but her mentor.

　Why did Father Amos specifically ask Qi Xing—"the strongest man on earth"—to protect Elaine? He would have done it anyway...

　"Okay, we'll deal with this later."

　Qi Xing thought for a moment, then said,

　"But now the silver coins are more important. Let's take them one at a time."

　As soon as the two of them walked into the Castel Sant'Angelo, the witch hunter security guards immediately closed the door again and activated the exorcism barrier.

　In theory, they won't be receiving any other "guests" tonight.

　However, less than twenty minutes after Qi Xing and Yi Lian entered the castle, something unexpected happened outside the gate.

　In the square in front of the castle, the tourists usually dispersed as night fell. But today, for some reason, the crowds grew larger and larger. They chatted among themselves, their cell phone cameras trained on the towering statues on the castle walls and the closed iron gates.

　"Look, that statue just moved!"

　An internet celebrity holding a live broadcast device shouted at the camera, with a deliberately exaggerated tone of fear in his voice.

　The onlookers all looked up, their cell phone cameras pointed at the sculpture - at first, nothing happened, but the next second, a strange breeze blew by, and everyone actually saw the shadow of the statue shift slightly on the wall, like some incredible illusion.

　Immediately, countless comments from live broadcast rooms began to flood the internet celebrity’s mobile phone screen.

　"The angel is resurrected?!"

　"The Vatican's hidden little secret?"

　"Come closer!"

　It was too late! Suddenly, a low wail sounded, seeping out from the castle walls, echoing faintly through the cracks in the stone. It was as if countless ghosts trapped in history were whispering.

　What was even more bizarre was that there was an ordinary-looking man in the crowd who suddenly froze in place, his face pale and his pupils dilated.

　A faint howl, as if something was stuck in his throat, followed by a voice that did not belong to him: "Iudicium prope est..." (The day of judgment is coming...)

　This sudden and bizarre sight caused those around to scream and step back. Several reporters immediately raised their cameras, their faces filled with excitement, fearing they would miss out on some world-class exclusive news.

　Not far away, a group of "occult enthusiasts" mingled with the tourists and began distributing pamphlets called "The Book of Revelation" to the crowd, loudly proclaiming, "The statues of Castel Sant'Angelo have been given new life! This is a miracle! The Vatican is hiding some secret!"

　The witch hunter security guards rushed out of the door with confusion and vigilance, trying to control the situation.

　However, the crowds of tourists, reporters, and curious people outside continued to grow. Some daring "occultists" even tried to break through the security cordon and storm the castle gates to test the truth behind the "miracle"!

　It's a mess

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　No one noticed that the real shadow was quietly moving among the crowd, avoiding all sights, avoiding the surveillance of cameras, and quietly sneaking into the castle.

　If they knew in advance who was going to come to the castle to look up information today, they would probably replan their itinerary.

　031: Really not?

　The secret library beneath Castel Sant'Angelo is surrounded by thick stone walls and stone doors, isolating it from all noise from the outside world and preventing any prying eyes from outsiders.

　Upon entering, the library reveals a vast and mysterious underground hall. Soft, even, pale white light casts sparse shadows on the dome and stone pillars, illuminating rows of towering, ancient bookshelves. These shelves are carved from ebony, their edges inlaid with gold, and inscribed with layer upon layer of prayers. A faint glow shimmers, as if whispering untold secrets.

　The Vatican is a complex tapestry of both antiquity and sophistication. The air of the secret library is filled with the aroma of ancient parchment. The entire space seems steeped in the tranquility of time—yet at the same time, the library is illuminated by fiber-optic lamps, which protect the ancient artifacts from heat damage and are free of ultraviolet and infrared radiation.

　Each corridor of the library is lined with exquisitely carved marble angels, some guarding with swords, others with lowered brows in contemplation, as if silently observing every visitor who sets foot here. The floor is paved with smooth black marble, but there is no echo when you step on it, making the entire space even more quiet and solemn.

　In the center of the underground library, a large round table inlaid with ivory and gold leaf decorations stands quietly, on which is placed a yellowed general catalog of book collection management, and even the words engraved on the spines of the books have been worn away by time.

　This was once a huge underground tomb.

　It is said that as early as the early 19th century, the Vatican conducted taboo and horrific human experiments here.

　It is said that every book here holds a secret of Christianity that has been forgotten... or too important to be forgotten. It is a tomb that has buried the wisdom of more than a dozen centuries.

　Qi Xing could hardly understand a single word of the books here.

　Elaine walked towards the big round table, carefully opened the thick catalog of the collection, and began to look for the clues she needed on the yellowed pages.

　"We're just going to look for it like this?" Qi Xing looked around. Countless thick books were everywhere. The peeling, faded gold letters spelled out a language he couldn't understand. Some books didn't even have titles. "Can we really finish looking for them in one night?"

　"Of course, it's impossible to search one by one. There are over 60,000 secret books here, and many scrolls." Elaine skillfully searched the catalog. "Fortunately, the catalog and content summary compiled by the church forty years ago are still relatively complete."

　You really should digitize all this stuff.

　Qi Xing had just thought of this when he suddenly realized something and felt a little strange. "Only over 60,000 books? That's less than the number in a good high school library, not even as many as the Pope's Index of Prohibited Books."

　Even the brains of the forbidden book index and pornographic books are filled with more than this!

　"The Papal Index is meant to control the printing and publication of books and periodicals, not to seal away magic books." Elaine was somewhat speechless. "The titles of magic books that truly need to be permanently sealed away won't even be published for the public to know."

　Otherwise, it would just be a joke like "make a list of banned pornographic books, and everyone ends up looking for pornographic books based on the list."

　The more than 60,000 secret books hidden beneath the Castel Sant'Angelo were all books that should never have existed. Yet, they were too important to be completely destroyed, so only a single copy remained, sealed beneath the Castel Sant'Angelo.

　This is a prison where documents that should not be destroyed or circulated are stored.

　Having said that, could any information related to "Thirty Coins" really be found here? To be honest, Qi Xing wasn't very optimistic about this. He always felt that things couldn't develop so smoothly...

　"Ah, I found it."

　Is this true? Is it that simple?

　"The Traitor's Testament, The Confession of Sophia, The Apocalypse of Akldama, The Silver Coins of Ptolemy, The Gospel of the Serpent—and the True and Complete Account of the Thirty Seals from the Fourth Century."

　Elaine looked up from the dusty tome, her expression calm and composed.

　"I've already looked through the table of contents and abstracts. Let's start with these six books."

　So fast? It's only been a few minutes?

　"Mr. Qi, please go to the left and find these two books. I'll go to the bookshelf on the right and look at them."

　Elaine said.

　"Oh." Qi Xing nodded, "No."

　Now it was finally Elaine's turn to be stunned: "No?"

　"Of course not. Are you stupid?" Qi Xing frowned. "Last time you said we should split up, and you almost got yourself into danger. Thanks to the devil's guidance, I arrived in time. Do you want to do the same thing again?"

　Although the result was actually good last time, Qi Xing really doesn't want to go through the same plot again. Preventing your teammates from being rapped and insulted by solving puzzles or beating the level within a time limit is a story that can only be played in Xiaohuangyou.

　Even if you're just playing in a small game, playing this kind of plot too much can actually put a lot of psychological pressure on you. Minotaur plots are bad for your mental health.

　"Mr. Qi..." Elaine was speechless after hearing this. "This is the Vatican's confidential library, not an enemy position. No enemy will suddenly jump out and attack."

　"Hahaha. I don't believe it."

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　It would be fine if he just said this to others. Qi Xing might have believed in some "common sense" before - but ever since he heard the truth about this broken world from Samael, Qi Xing no longer believed that there was an absolute safe zone.

　What's more, this underground library doesn't look like just a transitional scene at all. It seems like there are events arranged there.

　Elaine didn't understand his super-game logic and was a little confused: "Do you have to stay with me even when you take a bath or sleep in the future?"

　This statement did indeed make Qi Xing choke. He knew that if he continued to struggle like this, there would be no end to it. He couldn't just do what Elaine complained about, and not even shower or sleep... No... could he really not do that?

　Why not?

　In that instant, Qi Xing could almost hear the female demon god chuckling in his ear: "My king, I told you - you are not truly without desire, are you?"

　"We'll talk about this later. Anyway, we can't split up right now. You go find the book, and I'll follow."

　After saying that, he reached out and grasped Elaine's hand. The little nun trembled slightly for a moment. But she lowered her head and stared at her hand, which was held by Qi Xing. She hesitated for a moment, but ultimately did not pull it back. She only sighed and said, "Okay, Mr. Qi, I am the only one who can do whatever you want."

　“Wow, it showed up!”

　The Loli Evil God was busy complaining in Qi Xing's mind.

　"That's the kind of line a woman who's easy to get would say—'I'm the only one!'"

　Elaine didn't hear it, and Qi Xing ignored her.

　The two of them just quietly searched the underground library, looking for the documents that Elaine believed might be helpful in understanding the "Thirty Silver Coins".

　The Traitor's Legacy was found. Its cover was a dark red leather, as if stained with old blood, its surface dotted with tiny cracks like dried wounds. The pages, blackened by the edges, were covered in handwritten ancient Aramaic letters, as indecipherable as a curse. But Elaine could understand them. She picked it up, scanned it for a dozen minutes, and then returned it to the shelf.

　"Sophia's Confession" was found. It was written in Latin, bound in pure white sheepskin. But the surface was streaked with silvery lines like tears, as if someone had once clutched it and cried bitterly. Four tarnished pearls were inlaid at the corners. As Elaine flipped through it, the scent of bitter herbs wafted from the pages.

　After looking at it for a while, she nodded and put the book away: "It might be useful."

　The Akeldamar Revelation had been found. The entire book felt as if made of cracked earth, rough to the touch, with dark red blood occasionally seeping through the dark cracks. Elaine opened it with a disgusted expression, glanced at it for a few moments, and then quickly put it back.

　The Ptolemy Silver Coin was found. The cover depicted the seven planets orbiting Earth, along with many more intricate astrological images. When opened, the pages shone faintly, as if coated with mercury. The text was printed in Greek, and Elaine read it quickly before putting it away.

　"And then there's The Gospel of the Serpent..."

　As she muttered, she led Qi Xing through row after row of bookshelves and aisles, until—

　Until they both looked across the gap between the bookshelves and saw her.

　A strange figure was moving between the bookshelves in the distance, so light that it didn't seem like a living person.

　Her steps were quick and silent, as if the bricks beneath her feet refused to betray her. Her attire was completely out of place for this solemn and austere place—her long, pink and purple hair was pulled back in high ponytails, secured with two faintly luminous skull headbands. Her Harajuku-style motorcycle jacket was adorned with colorful voodoo doll charms, and she wore extravagant plastic bracelets and finger bone rings. Her nails were painted with glow-in-the-dark polish, so that voodoo symbols shimmered faintly in the darkness.

　At first glance, she looks like a rebellious, tanned Japanese chick. Her makeup is exaggerated, with long false eyelashes and blush covering half her face.

　He doesn't look like a voodoo sorcerer who is stealing sacred ancient books at all.

　Unfortunately, she is.

　Several library security guards collapsed on the ground nearby, their lives unknown, their faces swollen and purple, as if they had been poisoned or cursed.

　Her fingers slid across the rows of ancient books on the bookshelf, then she stood on tiptoe, reached out to take the book at the top, and pulled it out without hesitation. Her movements were so smooth as if she had practiced them countless times.

　And the book she pulled out happened to be the "Gospel of the Snake" that Qi Xing and Yilian were looking for!

　Now Elaine was really speechless - how could there really be an enemy here?

　"Look, what did I say?"

　Qi Xing was too lazy to complain about why the voodoo sorcerer was able to sneak into the underground library.

　Before he finished speaking, he stepped forward while protecting Elaine behind him.

　Hearing the sound, the voodoo hottie turned her head boredly and said in a delicate and sarcastic tone, "Oh, the little dog of the Church finally found out. What kind of curse do you want to try today?"

　But she soon realized that the person who came was not a security guard, but Qi Xing, and she was horrified: "-Hey? "Leip Man"? Why is it "Leip Man"!? Why are you here?

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　inside!?"

　Qi Xing laughed.

　"The dead don't need to know, right?"

　He didn't shout or even rush forward, but just took a step forward calmly.

　With one step, the thief's way of survival was completely blocked.

　In an instant, just by feeling the murderous aura of "Rip Man", Voodoo Hottie couldn't help but step back instinctively, and her back immediately hit the cold bookshelf.