Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
When they approached Death Valley, both Lucien and Natasha found it hard to believe their eyes. The valley in the darkness lost the gloom and scariness that it was famous for in the tales. It was covered in a mist, and the devastating cries of ghosts were gone. Indescribable tranquility was spreading out, making the intruders reluctant to disrupt the deepest sleep. Also, as they looked at the horizon, they could vaguely see the mild and sacred brilliance from the valley.
“Is this the Death Valley?” Natasha looked back at the cold, creepy forest to make sure that they were not in the wrong place.
Frightening roars were still echoing in the forest now and then, suggesting that the dead slaves of DemiG.o.d-lich were still searching for Lucien and Natasha.
Lucien shook his head. “This is exactly Death Valley. It seems that something is really wrong with Ell. I'm going to sneak in for reconnaissance with The Eyes first. We cannot break in recklessly.”
Then, Lucien took off ‘Congus Ring' first and cast many defense and alarm spells on Natasha and himself. Then, he took out the crystal ball and rubbed it, allowing it to spit out a dark meatball the size of a thumb, which had deep wrinkles all over the surface.
The meatball suddenly opened, revealing a pale eye that was filled with black lines. Then, it split into nine and melted into the darkness while they flew towards Death Valley.
Lucien, on the other hand, followed them with Natasha and hid themselves in the hollows in the cliffs not far away from Death Valley. The spiritual power was severely suppressed in this world. Even the reconnaissance magic like ‘The Eyes' had been greatly shortened.
The unusual darkness inside the crystal ball was gone and replaced by the view that The Eyes saw. They were sneaking into Death Valley from different angles.
“Is that…” Pointing at a certain part inside the crystal ball, where a ghoul-like creature more than two meters tall was entering Death Valley cautiously without any knowledge of The Eye behind it, Natasha asked, “… Congus's spectral slave?”
“It should be. Considering the time elapsed, they must be done searching the woods. Also, Congus is still in the main material world and cannot remotely command them. Well, it is a Soul Catcher.” Lucien slightly frowned.
Natasha did not know the monsters as well as Lucien did. She asked curiously, “A Soul Catcher? It sounds rather intimidating.”
“Yes, it is a weird and strong spectre. Don't be tricked by its ghoul-like appearance. Look at what is below its rotten abdomen.” Lucien explained gladly, reminding Natasha that she should not underestimate such creatures in the future.
For a better view, Natasha leaned on Lucien without any reluctance. Her perfume could be smelled clearly, which made him blush slightly.
“There are three tiny but vivid faces on its ribs. They are in obvious pain.” As The Eye changed direction, Natasha finally saw the front side of the Soul Catcher.
Lucien pointed at the abdomen of the Soul Catcher. “Those are the souls of the creatures it has killed. Since there are three prisoners, it means that it is a Soul Catcher that has mutated, equaling to the senior rank. Those souls can bring it enough energy to use abilities similar to magic. It can be regarded as a caster of the same rank who is good at Necromancy and Illusion. When it is attacked by magic, the magic effects and the damages of certain types will be transferred to the three souls. Until the three souls are destroyed, the Soul Catcher will be utterly unaffected, and the enemy's magic will be rendered useless.”
“Of course, the magic in the category of physical attack works much better on them. For knights, the most important thing is not to mistake them for ghouls or to be hurt by their magic-like abilities.”
Dimples appeared on Natasha's face. “They are indeed weird. Let The Eye follow it and see what changes it will bring to Death Valley.”
Lucien would've done the same thing even if she hadn't said so. He already asked one of The Eyes to followed the Soul Catcher quietly.
Inside Death Valley, the exuberant vines blocked the starlight, making the place dark and silent.
As the Soul Catcher and The Eye moved deeper, the darkness was thicker and thicker, and fewer and fewer things could be seen on the crystal ball. Finally, all the nine scenes fell into complete dark, as if they were caught in the unusual nothingness created by extraordinary forces.
Lucien tried to power The Eyes, but his command had no response from anything. The nine Eyes seemed to have been completely melted into the darkness.
Suddenly, a gentle light arose on the crystal ball, illuminating the Soul Catcher. It was fighting an angel who had a pair of wings in the back. Ahead of them was the realm of light that looked like dawn.
It was not until then that Lucien realized that six of the nine Eyes had been lost. Apart from the one following the Soul Catcher, only two pa.s.sed the darkness ahead.
“An angel? What is this place exactly?” Natasha exclaimed in the telepathic bond.
Lucien hurried to control the other two eyes to change their directions, circ.u.mvent the battle, and move deeper inside.
The Soul Catcher was rather strong, and it did not take long before it killed the ‘angel'. It intended to press on, only to be surrounded by more and more angels. There were even many Virtues and Cherubim that had four wings. However, their arrival only made it easier for Lucien's Eye to sneak in.
The view of The Eyes became clearer. Natasha's scarlet lips opened and s.h.i.+vered beyond her control.
It was a beach gently patted by waves. On the beach, pure souls were playing distant and yet pleasant hymns with harps and other musical instruments, while they let out devout and magnificent prayers:
“Praise the Almighty Lord, praise the omniscient and omnipotent Savior…”
The whole beach was enshrouded in sacred brilliance, as if it were in the middle of a cl.u.s.ter of light. Far away from the beach, there was a city with twelve gates, which had the same length, width and height, and which was decorated with agates, jades and other gems. Above the city, there seemed to be six similar divine domains, and the same merry scenes could be found in four of them.
The two floors on the top were beyond the sight of The Eyes. However, both Lucien and Natasha could guess what was in them.
“Blasphemy! This is the greatest blasphemy! Who has duplicated Mountain Paradise?” Natasha was never too obsessed about the content and theological knowledge on the church cla.s.sics. That was why she could be influenced by Lucien and live in peace with him. However, the blatant mimicry stimulated her piety and made her feel that the builder was full of maliciousness.
“You are one, and everyone. You are the moment, and forever…”
The hymns and prayers came over through the crystal ball. Lucien slightly frowned. Even the prayers and rituals in the Saint Truth's Cannon had been copied, too? What did Francis want? Did he really want Ell to be a ‘duplicate G.o.d of Truth'?
Got to say that it's rather creative… Lucien secretly complimented, but when he turned around, he discovered that Natasha was so infuriated that her hands were s.h.i.+vering. However, since Lucien was still in danger, and the most important enemy right now was the DemiG.o.d-lich, she did not indulge herself but held back her anger.
Lucien was more or less moved. He couldn't help but extend his left hand and grab Natasha's left hand that was not holding the sword, pressing it gently to give her warmth and comfort.
Natasha subconsciously retreated her left hand, but she soon understood what Lucien meant. Her eyes turned gentle, and she slightly nodded her head, hinting that she was alright. When her hands stopped shaking, she slightly exerted her strength and withdrew her left hand.
Apart from the dance and the escape, it was the first time that Natasha and Lucien had held their hands. Both of them fell into a brief silence, thinking about their own things.
At this moment, a man in a white robe, with six pairs of illusionary wings on his back, appeared above the crowd of angels. He slashed down with his sword, turning into a black hydra that suppressed the Soul Catcher. It seemed that the senior-rank spectre would be killed shortly.
“Francis did this?” Natasha was aware that Francis was once Ell's follower, but she did not expect that he would become a counterfeit Seraph.
Lucien hurried to prove his innocence. “To obtain intelligence, I once transformed and blended into Ell's church. I ran into Francis there. He was adept at theology and had been alluring Ell to be the G.o.d of Truth. This Mountain Paradise must've been fabricated under his instruction.”
As for his partic.i.p.ation in the deception when he hoped to learn about the growth of the G.o.d of Truth from close up, it must not be learnt by Natasha!
“It's him! Isn't he a night watcher? How could he have committed such blasphemy?” Natasha tried to hold back her shock.
Lucian was equally shocked. “He is a night watcher?”
Before, Lucien had been too anxious when he was hunted to ask Natasha why she would cooperate with Francis. The man was a night watcher of the South Church? He was more like a blasphemer than Lucian, the Fallen Angel at the nineteenth on the Cleansing List!
Natasha nodded seriously. “At first, I did not know that he was a night watcher. Danniel, the Fire of Purification, and Masada, the cardinal, did not know it, either. However, when Francis spoke to them in private, he seemed to have offered certain tokens that won their trust. Then, they told me that Francis was the ‘Thinker', who ranked the twelfth among the night watchers. He is a mysterious night watcher who only has a code name.”
“It was said that he was deployed to the North Church as a spy. For that, his name appeared on the Cleansing List. He was another man of mysteries whose files were kept confidential.”
“Did he really betray and join the North Church? No. The North Church couldn't have tolerated such blasphemy, either. Did he have another ident.i.ty?” Lucien smelled the scent of a double spy.
Natasha shook her head. “In any case, whatever his purpose is, such blasphemy must be punished. After we are really out of danger, or if you decide to attack Ell, I will execute him in person.”
However grave… Lucien secretly wiped his cold sweat, only to discover that Natasha was looking at him in a fake smile. “You once joined Ell's church. You must've contributed to the blasphemy, didn't you?”
Lucien was about to deny it, when Natasha said solemnly, “Don't lie to me.”
Thinking for a moment, Lucien confessed to the role he played, the ‘efforts' he made, and his purpose to study the mysteries of the G.o.ds. “… I did not hold any ill intentions. It was all meant to study the truth of this world.”
“I know that you've been trying to influence me,” Natasha suddenly sighed, “Perhaps because my att.i.tude towards the Lord was affected by my mother and Grandmother Hathaway in the first place, I did not attach much importance to the Cannon and the Doctrines. The Lord is more like a cornerstone of chivalry. Therefore, I can accept your arcana studies. Perhaps, the Lord will completely turn into a spiritual symbol for me in front of your research results and the undeniable facts, but not now. I have my own boundaries. I hope that you can respect me. You are free to do whatever you want in private, but don't let me see it.”
Lucien promised very solemnly, “Okay.”
After the communication, both of them seemed to have dropped some burdens. They continued observing the ‘Mountain Paradise' in Death Valley.
Suddenly, the black, white and grey on Lucien's left hand spread out, consolidating him again.
Under the influence of Alterna up ahead, the frequency of the pieces falling out of control seemed to be growing.
Solemnly, Natasha slashed Lucien with Pale Justice. After three slashes, the monotonous colors were broken and recalled. In the meantime, The Eyes were swallowed by the holy light when they lost Lucien's control.
“Let's evacuate first,” Lucien proposed, “We haven't figured out what is wrong with Ell yet, and this divine domain is his home field. We cannot attack recklessly. At least, we need to draw him out.”
Because the magics on Congus Ring worked on the outside world, Lucien feared that it would lose the cover of Silver Moon Alterna, which would raise DemiG.o.d-lich's wariness and make him realize that Lucien could use the ring. Therefore, Lucien intended to ‘catch' Ell via other magics.
Hardly had he concluded his sentence when someone flew out of Death Valley. It was exactly Ell, whose target was Lucien and Natasha!
