Bad woman, am I pretending to be bad?

In the second-floor corridor, Sophie's red hair shone like flames in the moonlight.

She used one hand to brace herself against the railing and flipped down, while the silver revolver in her other hand fired continuously, each bullet hitting a fleshy stubble with pinpoint accuracy.

Taking advantage of this fleeting opportunity, Charlotte bit her fingertip, and the pain at both ends of her nerves allowed her to temporarily regain control of her body.

The monster's characteristics kept the vitality alive, the constraints of the law made the corruption recede, the five senses returned, and the beauty's vision was blurred by the blood flowing from her forehead.

She got up, panting, but a relieved smile appeared on her festering face.

“Ever since that investigation at the smelter, I have understood the extraordinary price to pay. Jacob, Marian, and Luke died halfway through, and now, I am paying with my life to mourn them.”

The solid wood flooring gleamed with dark red veins, the blood that had flowed from the former, the putrid blood, drawn by spiritual inspiration, forming intricate and dense patterns that, in turn, bound its owner.

When Murman's tentacles reached this invisible barrier, they instantly became inactive, releasing a corrosive white smoke.

He was shocked and furious to discover that the walls previously covered by the fungal carpet were peeling away, revealing dense silver runes underneath—the center of the seal that Sufby had unknowingly used as the backdrop for a painting.

"You planned this all along?"

The man's voice began to tremble, and the pustules that had bulged on his body gradually subsided.

No one will face a plague messenger unprepared.

Tearing open her clothes, Charlotte revealed what was wrapped around her chest—the nerve vines that coiled above her body acted like blood vessels, maintaining circulation. The hyphae that had invaded her body were suppressed by the spirit, and her flesh and blood were pulled away along with them.

"This is?"

As if recognizing this as a promotion ceremony, Merman's狰狞 (zhengning, meaning ferocious/hideous) face showed terror for the first time. "You madman! Forcibly accommodating high-sequence characteristics will—"

"Will I die?" Upon hearing this, the brown-haired beauty lowered her fingertips, letting the condensed blood drip from her wound, mingling and resonating with the matrix drawn beneath her. "Unfortunately, I have long since become fearless of death, so why not take a gamble?"

The moment the words left his mouth, the entire council chamber was suddenly illuminated by a blinding red light. Merman let out a shriek that was not human, and his body deflated rapidly like a punctured balloon.

"No, this is impossible!" He knelt on the ground, his body gradually collapsing, his skin peeling off like dry tree bark.

This is not an external means, but rather the bacteria rooted in the former sense the loss of vitality and instinctively devour the flesh and blood of the parasite, thus causing a strong rejection reaction in the human body.

“I am clearly the one who conceived it and propagated it.”

“Is that so?” Charlotte staggered forward, leaving bright red footprints on the floor with each step. She grabbed Merman’s crumbling head and whispered in his ear.

"Whether it's this strain of bacteria or the extraordinary substance digested, in essence, they are all external things grafted onto the body and soul."

"You are not the master, but merely an ordinary vessel, an ignorant and pathetic worm."

As the last rune lit up, Merman's body collapsed with a thud, and countless mycelia scurried about like headless flies, but were firmly imprisoned by the alchemical matrix.

Charlotte slowly closed her five fingers, as if in a process of annexation, using the mycelium as a tonic to heal her festering skin.

“Dr. Bella!” Sophie exclaimed with concern, never expecting this scene to unfold.

But it's too late.

The strain merged with Charlotte's body and soul, forming strange vine patterns on her skin. As the last trace of her spiritual essence was absorbed, she slowly opened her eyes—those amber eyes now held a darker hue, a hint of bestiality.

"You've incorporated extraordinary properties?"

It was the red-haired girl's trembling voice.

“No, it’s taming.” The kind healer gently touched the little sparrow’s cheek; her fingertips were still warm and tender. “Let’s go, good girl, it’s time to end this man-made plague.”

As they climbed to the top floor of the orphanage, the rising sun had already pushed through the thick clouds, bestowing the warmth of early summer upon the world.

Beautiful and peaceful.

With her five fingers outstretched as if to receive a ray of sunlight, Charlotte lowered her gaze to the distant, continuous rows of low buildings and narrow alleys, watching the dissipated spirituality fade from the patient's body and mind, returning to her own palm.

In the crowd, a figure seemed to sense something, gazing at the brown-haired woman high above, and wrote something in a simple notebook.

[In the thirty-second year of the Age of Gods, the plague that swept through Florence was ended by those who looked down.]

Sophie turned her head as if sensing something, but only caught a glimpse of a fluttering black cloak. When she turned back, she saw Charlotte gently stroking her still-marked face.

"Do you regret it?"

It was a soft questioning.

She either didn't answer, or gave an irrelevant reply, simply saying:

"Look, look at those pigeons, they've finally dared to perch on the rooftops."

Chapter 168 Above Steam

As if whispering, in the morning light, a flock of white doves folded their wings and slowly landed on the top of the almshouse tower, on the bright red cross.

Their feathers, bathed in sunlight, gleamed with a warm luster, complementing the buildings beneath them like a peaceful backdrop.

"Good girl, do you know that?"

It is the soft murmur of a kind person to themselves.

"At the height of the plague, all the birds in the city flew away. They sensed the approach of death earlier than humans. And now, they are once again ahead of the rest of humanity, returning to their peaceful home."

Leaning against the wall, the morning breeze caressed her newly formed face. The hideous marks had faded, leaving only a few faint lines at the corners of her eyes, like carefully applied eye makeup.

"I knew my fate was sealed, which is why I made that decision then. You once said that extraordinary qualities are enough to change the very essence of life, and that assimilation and acceptance are steps to digesting the potion and completing the ascension."

"Since I have reached the inevitable end, why not give it a try? If I lose control, I will end it myself. If I am unharmed, I can continue to work as a doctor and take care of those who have not yet recovered from the epidemic."

She tucked a stray strand of brown hair behind her ear, and looking at the little peacock's still bewildered face, she couldn't help but lean closer and whisper in his ear.

“If I lose control in the first case, I believe you will try to save me. As for the second case, good girl, you should also hope that I can survive.”

The warm, moist breath brushed against her skin, causing Sofby's face to flush slightly.

"I......"

She almost hastily pushed Charlotte away, eliciting a soft laugh.

The sound of church bells drifted from afar, startling the white doves that were preening each other. They flapped their wings and flew into the blue sky, circling above the two of them a few times before scattering away. Only the lead, the strongest one, landed slowly, clinging to Charlotte's hand with its tiny claws and placing its head in her palm.

In reality, due to the drastic changes in the situation, by the time she learned the potion's recipe and discovered the true culprit's identity, there was no time to prepare the necessary ingredients. However, when the only two opportunities presented themselves, action had to be swifter than subsequent preparations, and she had to seize them first.

Right now, she has only absorbed the extraordinary characteristics of the 'Plague Messenger', but due to the lack of materials, she is unable to perform even the initial digestion, which is equivalent to carrying firewood that is always flammable.

Fortunately, just like the swarm of insects that took him on his promotion to arbitrator, heaven, or perhaps fate, once again smiled upon him.

With its long, slightly curved beak and flawless white back feathers, this bird is the most beautiful pure white phoenix in its species, and also a rare and precious bird of captivity.

Charlotte pressed her fingertips down slightly, parting the feathers to feel the subtle spiritual fluctuations beneath the skin. The bird's eyes also gleamed with wisdom, as if it could see through the deepest secrets of the human heart.

"...Thank you for your sacrifice, little bird."

Sophie stared blankly at the scene, her red hair swaying gently in the morning breeze. She suddenly realized that the seemingly ordinary white dove before her was actually an extraordinary creature she had never heard of before.

"No, wait!" The girl took a step forward in a panic. "You wouldn't be... right now?"

Charlotte did not answer, but gently picked up the white dove and placed a light kiss on its forehead.

Surprisingly, the bird did not struggle; instead, it quietly closed its eyes and rubbed against the former's knuckles.

"Good girl." Glancing at Sufby, the beautiful woman's amber eyes shimmered with a silvery light. She took out a small silver knife and handed it to her. "Could you do me one last favor?"

Sufby bit her lower lip, her red pupils glistening with tears. She knew what this meant—the complete ascension ceremony required materials to be collected on the spot, and a psychic bird, knowing death, was willing to sacrifice itself.

It is just like the kind doctor in front of us, except that forcibly containing extraordinary characteristics in a mortal body is destined to be a desperate situation where one's life is in danger, and only one of the two can survive.

"I'm sorry..." she whispered an apology to the birds, her voice filled with remorse.

Isabella still has unresolved mysteries surrounding her, and she is also intricately connected to Watson. Therefore, even if it is just wishful thinking, Suebey will only have one choice.

The pure white dove seemed to understand their conversation. It tilted its head and looked at Sufby, its eyes even showing encouragement. The girl took a deep breath, took the knife, but froze the moment she touched the bird.

"It...it's laughing?"

Indeed, the intelligent bird slightly raised its beak, as if comforting the girl who was about to take action.

Charlotte gently stroked the pigeon's back feathers and whispered, "On the way a white pigeon spends its entire life returning to its nest, it chose me. This was its decision, and it's also my good fortune."

As the words faded, a tear fell onto the gleaming blade when the tip of the knife touched the dove's soft belly.

The pure white feathers gradually faded away, and the flesh, bones, and blood transformed into spiritual light spots that dissipated, replaced by a crystal-clear, stomach-shaped sac that landed in the beautiful woman's palm.

"...A spiritual sacrifice, it condenses all of its spirituality into the purest material."

Looking at the current scene, Sophie couldn't help but murmur softly.

In the morning light, the crystals refracted arcs of light, and Charlotte brought them close to her lips and swallowed them.

As her spirit rose, her wounds were stitched up and healed in an instant, transforming into smooth skin. Then, countless points of light converged from all directions—fragments of souls lost in the plague.

As witnesses to the ceremony and as bearers of trust, they transformed into solitary birds and entered the heart of the beautiful woman.

As the storm subsided and the madness of the plague messenger faded completely, Charlotte spread her five fingers, then slowly clenched them. Now, she could push open the door, unlock the secrets of the human body, and reshape and fine-tune at the organ level.

Sequence Seven, 'The Nest', as the name suggests, accommodates different spiritualities and overcomes the body's rejection. It allows one to repair the structure of the limbs at will based on one's own knowledge reserves, maximizing the power of the material realm.

"Is this... a complete promotion?" Sophie asked cautiously.

Charlotte raised the corners of her lips, her smile carrying an unprecedented tranquility and realism: "No, it is a contract. Those lives that have passed away have chosen to be with me, and I will become their final resting place."

"Those who are considered extraordinary, but lack registration with the orthodox church and government, will be considered violators and arrested. Even more so..."

She may have understood what the little peacock was saying, but now that she has advanced to Sequence Seven, her perception has already surpassed that of the former, and she saw the person who came first.

Uniform attire, distinct roles, figures clad in heavy machinery, accompanied by the whistling of steam.

They were artisans belonging to the Church of Steam Supremacy.

Chapter 169 Seeing an Angel

The hum of steam grew louder as it approached, while the clicking of gears meshed neatly in formation outside the almshouse.

They paused, not rushing inside. The elderly man at the head of the group removed his brass goggles, revealing a wrinkled but exceptionally gentle face.

He knocked politely on the door so as not to disturb the sick patient, but this inadvertently reminded the two people inside.

“Ms. Isabella Valenti.” He adjusted his monocle, bowed slightly, and his upright posture exuded an air of wisdom and rationality. “Please allow me, on behalf of the Church of Steam and Machinery, to pay you my highest respects.”

"Woo!"

Charlotte wanted to back away, but she quickly grabbed the little peacock's shoulder, signaling her not to panic.

Through her spiritual vision, she could see that the etheric bodies of those visitors from afar were light-colored, which was a manifestation of goodwill and patience, and a lawful justice that was the complete opposite of chaos and madness.

"Don't worry, my dear girl," Charlotte whispered soothingly in her ear. "They've come with olive branches."

She slowly walked down the steps and stood with the people in front of her. As their faces became clearer, she recognized the renowned craftsman from the Church of Steam Supremacy.

In terms of his status as a universal citizen, he could be considered a pioneer of science and technology in the empire, dedicating his life to the well-being of the people and working to develop machines that would save manpower.

“Master Howard, I didn’t expect my actions to disturb you.”

Upon hearing this, the old man smiled kindly and solemnly opened an oak box inlaid with gear patterns in his palm.

On the velvet lining of the box lies a bronze pocket watch, its cover intricately engraved with a pattern of intertwined red crosses and gears.

"Although it has been disrupted by many important matters, the Church has always been concerned about the epidemic in Florence. Madam, you are fighting the plague with your mortal body, without caring about your noble status, only seeking the well-being of the people. Such selfless and fearless virtue has spread throughout the parishes."

"As for the new drug you developed, the current archbishop conducted detailed experiments and confirmed that it is a type of beneficial strain with extremely wide applicability and rapid effectiveness."

Unlike the Medical Committee's superficial knowledge, even though their area of ​​expertise was not in that field, the former's words were quite professional and lacked any arrogance of a self-important scholar.

"Perhaps others cannot understand this contribution to the entire medical field and to all mankind, but as a craftsman in the same field, I am well aware of its great significance."

"Not only me, but the entire College of Cardinals voted in favor of awarding you this brooch of honor and inviting you to serve as the Church's medical advisor. This is not based on your status as an extraordinary person, but solely on your character and contributions."

As I received the wooden box, the moment my fingertips touched it, a warm ripple swept through my heart, calming the spiritual fluctuations that followed my ascension.

Clearly, this is an extraordinary item with calming properties.

"This honor is too heavy a burden; I was merely doing my duty as a doctor."

The more necessary it is, the more one must demonstrate indifference. Charlotte knew this well and was happy to play the role.

"It is precisely this humility that makes it all the more precious. Accept it; it will help you stabilize the extraordinary qualities you have just acquired."

Hearing this, Sophie stepped forward warily. "Wait, you all know that Dr. Bella—"

"You know she successfully absorbed the characteristics of the Plaguebringer?" Howard looked at the red-haired girl with a hint of kindness. "Girl, do you really think we would treat this woman as an object, inhumanely imprisoning and experimenting on her?"

A hint of pity flashed in the old man's bronze eyes.

"The Church is not as cold-hearted as you imagine. We seek harmony between machines and life, and pursue further knowledge. We do not regard people as numbers to be consumed."