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Page 224
The Raven's Eye Stone, which split from the Throne of the Headhunter, commemorates this period of history of the fallen city of Morion, and at the same time, allows Vivian to briefly sense the secrets and power possessed by the Undertaker.
"despair."
Vivian, oh... now, she should be called "Yaheng".
The chief hunter stepped into his own shadow, then leaped out from Murphy's shadow, the Decapitation Throne aimed at the head atop his dark gold robes.
The Throne of the Headhunter is the Hunter's true hidden treasure. Even the Drinker's servant, who appeared in Norrington, could not resist its life-severing cleavage. Although he was only one-third of it at that time, he still possessed incomplete divinity and should not be underestimated.
But the crown prince did not dodge, nor did he even turn around.
He calmly allowed the scythe to approach his neck, but... the Executioner's Throne did not cleanly and neatly sever his head as usual. Instead, it stopped abruptly just before it touched his skin, unable to get any closer.
"【The Flower of Creation】is something dreamlike and untouchable. Yaheng, your weapon may be invincible... but with this weak and laughable mortal body, you can never truly touch the 'true self'."
"I will stay here and sever the legend of the chief hunter."
Murphy raised his index finger and pointed it out of thin air, causing dark golden flowers to bloom on Yaheng's body. They grew wildly, but then withered and died under the profound coldness, turning into golden-red ashes.
Although Yaheng defused the opponent's attack, the color of his own clothes... seemed to have faded a bit. His dark leather hunting suit had quietly lost some of its color, leaving a hollow, pale white.
The spells under the Lantern System can gradually erode the power held by the opponent by stripping away their color, just like the relic [S-066. Faded to Pure White] used by the Mirror of Enlightenment, Dorothy.
"..."
Yaheng remained silent, his gaze still indifferent and calm.
Murphy, on the other hand, seemed to be inspired, constantly uttering pleasant murmurs, their tone elegant and harmonious, as if reciting poetry.
"Before transforming this city into a thriving garden, I had doubts. Why did I embark on this forbidden path of ascension? Was it for a higher position, greater power, or a longer life?"
"At this moment, I have the answer."
"...I want to revitalize this era mired in decline. This is the meaning of my existence, and my inescapable mission."
Besides his apostle rank and the body of a mythical creature, he seemed to possess something that no other being of the same rank had... namely, the favor and mercy of the Flower of Creation.
This made Murphy more difficult to deal with than ordinary apostles, even though the sacrificial ceremony was not yet fully completed.
“Grand and imposing, but illusory and empty.”
Yaheng merely scoffed at his words, expressing his disdain.
Many fanatics enjoy making such pronouncements when they possess inflated power, and in his youth, Yaheng would point out the absurdity of their statements and refute them vehemently. But now, he no longer wastes time on such pointless arguments.
Those guys were completely absorbed in their own illogical and insane thoughts, without exception.
Reasoning? Even if Yaheng had the inclination to do so, they were not worthy to listen. All he had to do was cleanly and decisively end their arrogant lives.
For the filthy and depraved, death is the only mercy.
“Apostle of flowers. There is one thing you are wrong about.”
As he spoke, the golden-red hue of ashes appeared on Yaheng's leather hunting attire. Though burning, its aura was as deep and cold as a harsh winter, chilling to the bone.
"Please say."
Murphy seemed unfazed and even had the energy to ask questions.
Although he is currently only an incomplete mythical creature, the divine favor bestowed by the Flower of Creation is enough for him to contend with a true Apostle. Even if the person before him possesses the highest-ranking relic of the Hunters, as long as he is a mortal, he cannot pose a substantial threat to him.
But soon, as a sense of danger, like a fishbone stuck in his throat, suddenly rose, the smile on his lips gradually disappeared.
"As a hunter who upholds the order of the world, I am happy to be called 'mortal.' My fragile body is not shameful; it is proof of my humanity. But in order to slay those who have ascended to a higher level of transcendence, I must abandon this precious weakness."
"If you think I came here alone because I depended on this scythe, then you're probably mistaken..."
The undisguised apostle's aura swept in fiercely, like the howling winter wind accompanied by sudden snow in the dead of winter.
Even Vivian herself was terrified by the piercing, bone-chilling spiritual energy surrounding her.
But at this moment, she felt as if she were in the eye of a hurricane. Despite the howling wind, she remained unmoved and felt calm and secure.
Prior to this, no one knew that... Yaheng, a young hunter not yet fifty, had already so solidly stepped into the sixth tier. Even though he was the Funeral Court's infamous chief hunter, this scene was still astonishing.
"impossible……"
"Impossible! Do you know how much I paid to get to this point? Do you know what I sacrificed to receive divine grace?"
"I used tens of thousands of living beings to build this lush and exquisite flower garden. I spent decades devoting myself to various lost ancient rituals. In the chaotic, lightless dream, I was forced to have intercourse with countless unspeakable beings..."
Fear, terror, and anger.
Murphy was incredulous; the level he had barely reached after exhausting all his efforts was something the person before him had already achieved.
He instinctively took a step back, seemingly intimidated and attempting to escape... but the cold, dark shadow had already enveloped him, leaving no room for resistance.
Although the scythe in Yaheng's hands, which was about to behead Murphy, still failed to directly touch him, every near miss between the blade and his body caused the flowers adorning his brocade robes to fade and lose their luster.
The golden tulips bloomed in their full glory, then withered and turned to ash, scattering in the wind.
For a fleeting moment, Murphy felt a chill creep into his body and soul. It was a cold decay, a desolate withering, and... an irreversible "death."
When his sense of detachment and peace was shattered, fear then spread like a persistent carbuncle.
At this moment, Murphy had been forcibly stripped of all his psychological shell by the chief hunter. He was no longer the crown prince of the Gallonson royal court, nor a favored one of the Flower of Creation, nor a mythical creature about to step into the ranks of the Apostles.
Now he is... merely a weak, fearful, and utterly mediocre creature, desperately seeking only to escape.
As Murphy's dark gold robes completely faded, his "untouchable" aura also vanished. The thought that Yaheng's scythe was no longer obstructed caused him to vomit uncontrollably from the fear of death.
"Uh-huh, uh-huh..."
His stomach was empty, with no food, so he did not vomit any semi-digested residue.
All that came out was saliva and blood...
Seeing the scene before them, not only Yaheng at that time, but even Vivian, who was now playing the role of the chief hunter, felt a little contempt.
Indeed, the higher a person climbs, the more they fear death.
"A mere imitator who picks up scraps from others... How dare he claim to 'save the world' when he's only at this level?"
"You are nothing but a puppet being fooled without realizing it."
Soon, Vivian's gaze narrowed slightly as she glimpsed something amiss in Murphy's increasingly out-of-control demeanor.
As the vomiting intensified, transparent sea tentacles began to emerge from the crown prince's mouth, and his skin began to shimmer with a translucent, scaly sheen.
In addition, its body began to expand violently, and almost instantly it lost its human form, transforming into a huge, strange, and ferocious beast.
Upon seeing this, Fran, who had been observing from the sidelines, couldn't help but show a hint of understanding.
"A mythical creature from the abyss, a malevolent being. And its characteristics are very similar to those of the Heil remnants... The Star Abyss Society really did leave behind some kind of 'backup plan.' No wonder they aren't worried that Murphy becoming an apostle will threaten their sect's position."
Having lost the constraints of his human form, Murphy's personality seemed to have been greatly diluted. His original fear and trembling disappeared, replaced by a ferocious and unrestrained state of madness.
However, his fate was already sealed and would not change.
After a series of intersecting figures, Yaheng picked up his fingertips and calmly wiped the black scythe blade of the Judgment Throne.
As for Murphy, who transformed into a giant sea monster, his head was no longer visible at the neck... All that could be seen was a smooth and regular cut surface, with no blood gushing from the cut, and even blood vessels could be seen constantly wriggling.
"boom--"
Its massive body collapsed, raising a cloud of gray-black dust.
With the prey slaughtered and its massive head sinking into shadow as one of the items in Aheng's trophy collection, the hunt was over.
As the power and intellect belonging to the chief hunter faded from her body, Vivian clutched her waist and gasped for breath.
Even the mere reenactment of Yaheng's actions within the memories of his past in dreams placed a considerable burden on Vivian. However, she also gained some valuable insights from his unparalleled shadow manipulation skills.
With Murphy's death, this dreamscape made up of memories began to fade away.
The city reduced to ruins, the howling, chaotic evil creatures of the abyss, and the panicked fleeing crowds... all vanished into nothingness in the darkness of the dream.
-
As a strong sense of loss washed over her, Vivian opened her sleepy eyes and gradually woke up on the soft bed in the therapy room.
"Well……"
She reached up and rubbed the corner of her eye, feeling her intuition surging and expanding in her mind. The spirituality originating from the shadows suddenly grew, and the originally obscure and difficult-to-understand esoteric models seemed to become simple and concise, and the ignorance that shrouded her thoughts was finally revealed.
"Gah?"
Suddenly, Crow Muning opened his black pearl-like eyes and, somewhat confused, began to sense the changes in his body.
Under the influence of the [Raven Incarnation] spell, its wings were covered with a layer of shadowy, illusory color, and its size increased slightly.
While mastering the [Raven Incarnation] technique, Vivian also truly stepped into the third tier. Even after breaking through the bottleneck, her spirituality continued to grow uncontrollably, only gradually stopping after the tier approached its full potential.
Only now did Vivian truly understand the weight of Dr. Fran's "reward".
“用以突破第三阶梯的晋升仪式【铭记鸦影】，竟然直接让我的灵性逼近第四阶梯……如此大的跨度，甚至可以称得上是高位者提供的‘擢升’。2．940∶§4＄∞3△〖5⌒∏6≠｜4蒐索:”
"In addition, the completion rate of the second-class superior secret technique [Shadow Control] has reached 80%, and it is only a hair's breadth away from being completely mastered."
She pursed her lips, her expression momentarily strange.
Dr. Fran's gift was indeed a bit too expensive. You see, the Hunters' standard for their leaders was only "the third tier with rich combat experience," and now, he had already far surpassed that threshold.
Such abundant spirituality was almost overflowing; he was only a matter of time before he could ascend to the level of high priest.
Of course, hidden rank and actual combat strength are not entirely correlated. Director Bartley is also in the third tier, but if Vivian were to face him head-on, the result would probably still be a hasty retreat... she would be lucky to survive even one round.
"How does the promotion feel, Vivian?"
Fran had just woken up from his dream and began to ask Vivian, who was still full of surprise.
“It’s very good… I should say it’s a little too good. I have never felt so spiritually fulfilled.”
As she spoke, she raised her index finger, and Mu Ning flapped her wings and landed on it.
After assuming the [Raven Avatar] spell, its body became increasingly akin to a spirit. It was also able to manipulate simple shadow spells, using its own shadow to store small objects.
"Hmm~ This means the ritual was completed perfectly. However, you should be careful, since you did carry some 'traces' of the Chief Hunter in your dream, you might be affected at times."
"However, this kind of redundant consciousness will not affect personality and will dissipate after a period of time."
"Thank you for the reminder, Dr. Fran... I will keep it in mind."
Recalling the scene of the chief hunter's hunt, Vivian couldn't help but shudder.
Upon hearing what Fran had just said, Haida lowered her gray-chestnut eyes and fell into a thoughtful silence.
She is indeed very experienced in this kind of situation...
Previously, in order to escape the first type of ritual, "Establishing a Dream," the nun had briefly profiled Fran's consciousness in the future Norrington. Even though it was only a brief simulation, its effects have not yet dissipated.
The funeral maiden strictly adheres to the inviolable commandments of the God of Hunting. Therefore, she must remain silent and indifferent year-round, regarding herself as a pure, emotionless weapon.
But Fran's uninhibited personality, like a smoldering fire, subtly scorched her hardened mental shell, prompting her to unleash her truest self and desires at a certain moment.
She couldn't determine whether her current state was good or bad, but she didn't dislike the change.
Having finished the tasks to be completed before heading to the fallen city, Fran lightly raised his wrist, his gaze sharpening as he examined the brass pocket watch hidden in his sleeve.
"Hmm... perfect timing. We should head to Morion now. If we're too late, we'll miss the first act of the performance."
Heida and Vivian had no objection to this.
However, when Vivian caught sight of the black chain chain on Fran's wrist, labeled "Reaching for the Moon," her lips twitched slightly, and she swallowed hard. A strange, hallucinatory sensation also arose in her throat.
Although the relic had indeed protected her when facing the Brown High Priest, she still couldn't help but feel a pang of resentment whenever she thought of Dr. Fran hiding it in her stomach...
-
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Tsuruko is fighting her way out of the underworld!
Chapter 117 Empty Fame and Counterfeit Goods
Mordwell, Prince Gunther's residence.
At this moment, Gunther sat on the leather sofa in the bedroom with a complicated expression, holding a slender quartz champagne glass in his hand, his eyes flickering with an unpredictable mood.
"Is there still no news about Vivian, the thief who stole Shitia?"
His bedroom was spacious and empty, and there was no one around, so the question seemed to be just a soliloquy.
But almost at the same time as he opened his mouth, the snake-like butler named Lei Ruila stepped out from the shadows beside the curtains, lowered her eyes, and respectfully answered the question.
"We have dispatched royal spies as you instructed, and the Star Abyss Society has been conducting patrols within the city at the highest intensity. However... so far, we have not yet obtained any sufficiently valuable results."
"boom!"