Chapter 147 - 147: A Stunned Medici

At that moment, two figures rushed out from opposite sides—it was Klein in his clown disguise and Dunn, whose face was obscured by a heavy beard. They flanked Yurigus from the left and right and simultaneously fired purifying and exorcising bullets into his head. Bang! Bang! Bang! Red and white matter exploded out as the skeleton, losing its support, collapsed with a clatter, scattering bones across the ground. Klein didn't pause. He swiftly gathered the bones and bits of lingering flesh into a bag, while Dunn retrieved the Beyonder characteristics that had separated from the body. Daly approached them holding the diary. "I have a feeling this book is incredibly dangerous. If one keeps it for too long, they might end up like that tall man." Klein thought for a moment and said, "Let me take it." He flipped through the diary upon taking it, recognising it as the one Leonard had previously found—Lanevus' diary. Klein remembered…this diary was likely related to the True Creator! Something like this—no matter who held it—would never be safe unless offered up to the grey fog! Just then, Dunn said, "The Nighthawks will be arriving soon. Let's get out of here." "Agreed." The three immediately split up. Klein circled several times to make sure no one was following him before returning to 15 Minsk Street. The first thing he did was offer the diary to the grey fog. Then he walked counterclockwise four steps and entered the magnificent palace. There, he began a spiritual ritual to divine: "The process by which Yurigus obtained the diary." "The process by which Yurigus obtained the diary." "The process by which Yurigus obtained the diary." —— Klein leaned back and closed his eyes, quickly falling into a dream-like trance. He saw the familiar ruins of the Blackthorn Security Company in Tingen. Under the cover of night, the tall man arrived silently, dug through layers of rubble, and retrieved the diary buried beneath. The vision ended. Klein pondered for a moment and began a new divination: "Yurigus's goal." "Yurigus's goal." "Yurigus's goal." —— Once more, he entered a dream. Yurigus walked among a crowded street, holding the diary in his hand. From the diary, drops of blood slowly trickled down. The scene shifted. He was now somewhere else, still holding the diary, allowing blood to drip from it intermittently as he walked. The blood was absorbed into the ground, vanishing without a trace. The scene changed again—Yurigus was in the chaotic docks, repeating the same act. And again— In a dimly lit room, Yurigus knelt before the diary. "Lord, I have spread your radiance…it will surely help you…kill Edward." Then came a sound—like whispered babbling filling the room. Klein focused, trying to listen more closely— Only for a curtain to suddenly appear in his vision. From behind it, a black vertical pupil emerged. The next instant, a voice entered Klein's ears—unspeakably evil, overwhelmingly corrupt. The True Creator! He jolted awake— But discovered with horror that his blood vessels had burst, his veins writhing out of his skin, transforming into slick, evil-looking tentacles inscribed with depraved patterns. Even the grey fog was trembling slightly, and the giant palace showed signs of minor corrosion. A few seconds later, the grey fog settled, and the sinister voice echoing in Klein's mind faded away. "Bloody hell…I was just trying to channel the tall guy, how did it still lead back to the True Creator?" It took him a long moment to calm his shaken spirit, only to realise that Yurigus's spirit had already shattered and dissipated. "Huff—Yurigus spreading what seemed to be the True Creator's blood everywhere…was it really just to kill Edward? How? By 'polluting' more people and turning them into 'believers' like him?" Klein turned his gaze toward the diary. "Can I find answers in here?" Yurigus had indirect ties to the True Creator—to divine this diary, which was directly linked to that being, would undoubtedly trigger another round of backlash. "Well, I'm used to tempting fate by now. Let's just treat it as repaying Edward for saving my life." Gritting his teeth, Klein performed another divination on the diary. But within seconds, he opened his eyes. "Divination failed…" He rubbed his forehead and chuckled bitterly. "Of course. The grey fog can isolate interference and enhance divinations—but it has its limits. Even when I tried to divine Ince Zangwill with the feather pen, all I saw was a red chimney. What more can I expect when dealing with an actual deity?" "Still…this concerns Edward. I should talk to him first." ——— The next day, aboard the Emerald. Hibbert was just about to enjoy breakfast when Edward and Audrey walked in together. "Hibbert, we're heading back to Backlund." His hand holding the fork paused. "Back? But I haven't even—" Then it hit him. Edward's original destination was just Bansy Island. Now that the matter was resolved, there was no reason to linger at sea. "Alright then. Honestly, the sooner the better. Backlund is the safest place anyway." Edward considered for a moment. "Actually, if you're heading to Bayam, I could teleport you there instantly." Hibbert chuckled, "You Beyonder folks are way too obsessed with efficiency. I have plenty of time—I'd much rather enjoy the journey. That's what makes travelling meaningful." I want to enjoy the trip too. But with time limits every time he entered the World of Mysteries, Edward was always forced to rush things. "See you in Backlund." Hibbert raised his glass of red wine and gave it a swirl. "See you in Backlund." Edward drew the portkey out with a Levitation Charm, and he and Audrey reached out together— With a twist in space, the two vanished from sight. "Such a fascinating ability…" Hibbert took a small sip of red wine and sighed softly. Just then, the ship suddenly rocked. The wine and breakfast spilt across the table. His expression changed at once. "What's going on?" Moments later, a bodyguard rushed in with a solemn face. "Pirates." Hibbert's face darkened. Damn it, they left only moments ago, and something's already gone wrong? ——— [Captain's Cabin of the Emerald] Captain Luke's face was grim as he looked at the first mate. "Are you sure it's the Vice Admiral of Ailment?" "Yes. It's The Black Death," the first mate replied, holding a monocular telescope. He suddenly exclaimed, "Huh? The Black Death is leaving." "Leaving? Are you certain they didn't make any demands?" "None." "Don't let your guard down." Captain Luke slammed the table. "Be ready for battle at any moment. These damn pirates are all sly devils!" "Aye!" The rumour that the infamous Vice Admiral of Ailment was approaching spread quickly across the Emerald. Some passengers who had heard of the pirate admirals were scared witless, as if the next moment would see the enemy boarding their ship in a storm of fire and slaughter. But then, against all expectations, the distant pirate ship abruptly changed course and sped away. At first, many suspected it was just a trick, but when the ship disappeared completely over the horizon, everyone finally believed that the newly ascended pirate general had really left. A great cheer erupted across the Emerald, with many assuming their ship's firepower had scared off the pirate. However, Captain Luke and his officers were instead quietly relieved to have escaped disaster. —— [Aboard The Black Death] A tall, beautiful woman stood at the prow, clad in a white linen shirt under a dark red coat. Her jet-black, bewitching curls were pinned high atop her head, wrapped in a white scarf. Slim and graceful, she wore well-fitted beige trousers that emphasised her lithe frame. She was none other than the infamous Vice Admiral of Ailment—Tracy. At this moment, a puzzled expression clouded her features as she murmured, "I was so sure…that ship held something very important to me. Why…did it suddenly disappear? Was it a false feeling?" Just then, she turned around and spotted a red-haired woman quickly pulling her head back into the cabin. Tracy said indifferently, "What are you playing at again?" The redhead, Helene, gritted her teeth and stepped out. "Just curious why you let that passenger ship go." Tracy smiled faintly. "Hoping I'd start an assault so you could slip away in the chaos?" "…" "That ship has official backing. If it's not necessary, I won't raid it. As you know, I'm not short on money. Plundering is more of a…hobby." —Though she didn't say it aloud, her real reason was maintaining her acting as part of her potion pathway. Turning to head back into the cabin, she added, "Alright, time to collect the next 'shipment.' Set sail!" "Aye-aye, captain!" The pirates cheered loudly, raising The Black Death's sails to full, the ship slicing through the sea breeze like a blade. ——— [The Hall Family Mansion] After dropping Audrey off at the estate, Edward stayed a moment for a brief chat before disapparating. Susie padded over to her usual resting spot and lay down, looking terribly bored. After a few seconds of hesitation, she turned to Audrey and asked, "Audrey, when can we go out and play again?" Audrey couldn't help laughing. "Weren't you the one asking why I'm always out and about? Look at you—you've only gone out once and you're already thinking about the next time." Susie looked a little sheepish. "There's nothing fun to do in the mansion…" "Alright, alright. Next time I go out, I'll try to bring you along." "Yay~!" She perked right up, wagging her tail joyfully. How wonderful—dogs really were such simple, happy creatures. Audrey took a deep breath, calming the nervousness that had built up inside. "Time to go see Mum and Dad…" ——— Edward didn't return to the hotel he had previously rented in Hillston Borough. Instead, he went back to a small villa Viscount Glaint had rented for him during his second visit to the Mystical World. He hadn't stayed there before for fear the Aurora Order might find him. But now…for the time being, he and the Aurora Order were in a sort of 'truce', so it wouldn't hurt to live there for a while. Lilith, however, detested the place—and for a very down-to-earth reason: not enough big rats in the area. Edward couldn't help but toss out a joke she wouldn't understand: "You've got it wrong. Some of the biggest 'fat rats' in Backlund live right around here. Catch just a few of them, and you'd feed the whole East Borough for a long while." Lilith didn't grasp the deeper meaning, but she got the literal idea. Her eyes widened in shock, and she raised her tiny front paws for emphasis. "Rats that big…enough to feed that many people? How huge are they?!" She spun in place, looking up at the house. "As big as this place?" "Bigger!" "Whoa!" She…actually gulped. "Alright, you stay home. I need to head out." "Okay~" She nodded obediently, though her thoughts had already drifted skyward: once Edward left, Miss Lilith would go hunt those fat rats! But—ugh—wasn't the assessment tomorrow? Ahhh, such a tough decision… ——— [Unit 8, Williams Street] Edward once again stepped into the grand hall lined with the statue of six deities. Carrying a tote bag full of blood from Medici's descendants, he walked to the slightly ajar door on the left. Setting the bag down and unzipping it, a thick metallic stench of blood quickly filled the air. "Lord Medici, I've returned from Binsy. This bag contains what should be the blood of your descendants. I can't tell which are direct-line heirs, so I brought it all. Is it usable?" A surge of malice swept toward him, swirling around the bag. The dust on the floor shifted violently, twisting into distorted letters: "…Did you kill all of my descendants?" ——— [Note]: Don't forget to VOTE. It keeps me motivated.