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Most of the time, Fran maintained an almost impeccable level of caution. She didn't tend to pursue intricately linked schemes, but rather preferred to prepare numerous "backup plans" that could be readily replaced and activated to ensure a margin of error.
Rather than strictly controlling every step of an event's progression, it's better to guide an overall trend that benefits oneself.
"By the way, Dr. Fran, do you know anything about this 'Sea of Corpses'?"
While waiting for Fran, Haida had been observing the place for quite some time.
Besides the endless, dark waves, enormous, ethereal creatures occasionally drifted by. Although they were similar in form, their biological characteristics were vastly different.
They resemble snakes or pythons, with few whiskers, or perhaps clusters of seven long, slender tentacles; it is difficult to categorize them into four types. ∷《◆〔
"I don't know."
Fran shook his head, which was quite unusual for him, indicating that he was unaware of the matter.
Following the cataclysmic changes at the end of the Lost Era, the world's operating principles and existing order were drastically rewritten. Furthermore, the doctor herself experienced amnesia… therefore, she cannot provide accurate answers to some questions.
However, some inferences can be drawn from "experience".
"Although the cause of its formation and its specific composition are unknown, the 'Sea of Souls' can be classified as a kind of 'separation realm'. After the ancient gods perished, their remains not only became corrupted and defiled, but may also form 'doors' from bottom to top."
"This has caused the deep realms, which could previously only be glimpsed through dreams, to begin to rise and come into contact with the material world."
As he spoke, Fran raised his hand to cover his mouth, seemingly a little dispirited.
For this person, laziness and lethargy are merely ways of expressing their emotions. She may be sleepy-eyed and have a tender gaze, but she may not actually feel tired... perhaps she's just not very interested.
That's exactly what happened.
Being in the Sea of Souls is equivalent to being swallowed by the souls of the dead in the Abyss, a process that will greatly interfere with Fran's control and connection with the Mist within the Door. Even though it's only a subtle influence, it will cause some additional discomfort and dizziness compared to a normal state.
Specifically, it manifests as lethargy, reluctance to exercise, and is similar to seasickness.
Noticing Fran's current state, Haida narrowed her eyes slightly, guessing that this special barrier might have had some negative impact on the doctor.
After a moment, Haida spoke after careful consideration.
"Dr. Fran, let's go back to Ms. Shitty's captain's cabin; it's a good place to rest."
"Ah."
Fran listlessly took the arm of the nun beside him and readily agreed.
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Mordway, the hidden underground passage on Vanfna Street.
After successfully evacuating through the secret passage on Vanfna Street, Marquis Jude, though intending to take the risk of attacking Oak Shadow Nest directly, ultimately did not set off until the next day, choosing not to rush into action.
First, Jude needs to take stock of and organize the Noralians who have chosen to follow him, explain the reasons for the current situation, and deliver a pre-battle speech. With his millennia-old prestige, maintaining cohesion should be a piece of cake.
Secondly... they need to get through tonight first.
Although Grantham had promised to send reinforcements, Whitecup and Gormouth were worlds apart, and it would take at least a week for them to arrive. Meanwhile, the Ravenfeather Cultists of Oak Shadow Nest were currently trapped and could only defend themselves.
Therefore, right now, the Moon Clan can only rely on themselves.
Jude must ensure that his entire operation takes place at night, so it would be best to make his move at dusk the following day, giving them a whole night to use.
The Moon's greatest enemy has never been any enemy, but rather the scorching daylight.
Jude and the Noralian family remained in hiding until night fell, the next day's sunlight rose and set, and the golden-red hues of dusk sank into the twilight with the starlight... He knew it was time to set off.
A massive swarm of jet-black bats poured out of the sewer openings, surging towards the oak forest on the outskirts of Mordway under the cover of night, almost obscuring the sky.
……
"The sound of bats flapping their wings...it seems an old friend has arrived."
Viktor, who had been locked in a standoff with the remaining eyes, licked his dry lips, his deep-set eyes showing no change in expression. He had already anticipated that Jude would lead the remaining members of the Noralian family to rush to Oak Shadow Nest's aid.
Of course, this wasn't Viktor's own "prediction," but rather the ochre-white dress's "divination."
As an old saint of the Ant Scale Gate, this elder was indeed highly skilled at uncovering secrets. However, with both his soul and body deeply corrupted and eroded, each activation of the ritual was a considerable burden.
Therefore, Victor preferred to have the Ochre-White Skirt member of the Obscure Society provide intelligence.
"Change to silver bullets and appropriate weapons, and prepare to engage the Moonkin. Release the living corpses and ant-scaled outcasts of Hyel as well. If that old bastard Jude is determined to fight to the death... he'll be a real handful."
After a moment's thought, he gave instructions to one of the tide listeners beside him.
"Yes."
Upon receiving the order, a Tide Listener used the corresponding key prayer to unlock the steel cast cages that had pierced the shoulder blades and ribs of dozens of living corpses.
These included the remains of the dead Heir clan, and the corrupted and decayed corpses of the disciples of the Antscale Gate. Their minds and souls had vanished, leaving only a maddened shell yearning to devour fresh flesh.
Just then, the black bat swarm solidified into Jude's body and rapidly approached the ranks of the Listeners.
The silver bullet struck his body directly amidst the muzzle flash, yet left no bullet mark. Instead, pale, translucent salt crystals bloomed like roses, completely deflecting the bullet.
Looking at the scene before him, Mitchell, the Star Speaker at the front of the array, felt a chill run down his spine.
That is the primal human fear of death.
Damn it, damn it! Is this the Marquis-level Moonborn? Not only can he withstand firearms, but even blessed silver couldn't truly harm him. That guy braved the barrage of fire the whole way, but his movements didn't slow down at all!
All Mitchell could do was keep pulling the trigger, like an ancient ancestor brandishing a spear at a wild beast.
Just as Jude was about to touch and tear him apart, Victor stretched out his hand, covered in black snake scales, to block the attack.
"Stop. As a marquis, you wouldn't dare bully a child like him, would you?"
“When you told them to pull the trigger and fire, you didn’t mention ‘kids.’ Victor, I know your physical condition… You can’t stop me at all. If you don’t get out of here, I’ll kill all the Tide Listeners here first, and then slowly deal with you.”
Jude punched Victor in the arm, and pale salt crystals quickly spread along the point of contact.
"Humph."
Viktor leaped back and then brushed away the salinized parts of the scales on his arm.
His arm had become noticeably shriveled after only a short time being soaked in the pale salt. But it swelled up again after a few breaths, becoming plump once more. However, no one knew whether the filling in his arm was blood or something else…
"Cease fire, compress the formation, and retreat!"
After issuing commands to the Star Abyss Society members around him, he took a deep breath, and the snake-like scales on his body were immediately covered with a blurry luster. He also drew a jet-black spear from beneath his tattered robe.
"【S-055. Sharp Edge of Wounds】, you've even brought out something like this. It seems you've made up your mind to serve that guy Melvis to the bitter end?"
Jude let out a low chuckle.
Faced with Victor, who had already revealed his trump card and was ready to fight to the death, his first action was to abruptly turn his face and glance at the shadow of the oak forest beside him.
“Aren’t you going to come out yet? Indeed… you’ve always been keen on hiding, even more sneaky than the six-eyed raven’s snatchers. But my children have already surveyed the entire woodland.”
Jude chose to break through alone not only to avoid casualties among the younger generation, but also for another reason.
He needed to draw the fire of the entire Listener ranks to buy time for the other Moonkin to search for any potential hiding places.
"Ugh."
Through a simple third-class arcane technique, [Display Tendency], the ochre-white dress confirmed that she had been discovered. She then ceased to hide, gently adjusting her embroidered, mottled-patterned gauze robe, and slowly stepped into the bright moonlight.
“We need to give up countless things to gain Qi’s keen ‘spiritual awareness,’ but for the Moon’s offspring it’s just instinct. How jealous I am.”
She sighed softly, seemingly helpless, as she wore an ochre-white dress.
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soup!
Chapter 184 The Dawn of Darkness
On the surface, Jude maintained the composure and calmness that Marquis Moonbeam always possessed, as if he had nothing to fear.
However, his current enemies are two high-ranking priests who have reached the fifth tier, and the disadvantage in terms of numbers is obvious. Even with the secret talents of the Moon Clan and nearly a thousand years of experience and knowledge, he can only barely bridge the gap.
However, the methods Jude used to escape from Vanfna Street had cost him dearly.
In order to completely cleanse himself of the erosion of the Abyss Spirit Essence, he was forced to abandon nearly a third of his bat-like body, resulting in a significant reduction in his blood reserves, physical strength, and spirituality.
In other words, Jude wasn't confident he could defeat both Victor and Ochre-Dress in one-on-two combat. His goal, however, was to create as much noise as possible to alert the remaining eyes inside the Oak Shadow Nest.
While one might be outmatched in a two-on-one situation, in a two-on-two situation, one's side holds an absolute advantage.
That guy Yimu was only one step away from the Apostle's threshold on the sixth step. If he wasn't worried that Melvis might be hiding in the shadows waiting for a surprise attack, he probably would have come out and attacked Victor long ago.
However, there is still the variable of the ochre-white dress of the Hazy Society.
This woman is much more troublesome than that old, sickly Victor.
"Ochre dress... When did the Night Moth Priest become so keen on taking sides in the covert war? What did Melvis promise you that made you abandon the doctrine of neutrality and step into this murky water?"
Jude lowered his gaze and uttered a question.
"It's just a collaboration."
The woman in the ochre-white dress gently shook her head, the thin silk fabric swaying slightly with her neck.
"According to the signs of fate, I believed that participating in the Star Abyss Society's plans would yield sufficient benefits. And indeed, this has been the case; Melvis shared with us a portion of the ancient flesh and blood techniques of the Heir remnants." (Dove)
Her tone was soft and her expression calm, seemingly not at all averse to talking to Jude.
The reason is simple: delaying the process is more advantageous for her side.
Although the balance of power between the two sides would be reversed once the Remnant left Oak Nest, Melvis and Bernhard had already completed the takeover of Vanfna Street and would arrive from time to time.
At that time, everything will be settled.
Jude roughly understood her true intentions, so he didn't pursue the conversation further.
However, both sides are ancient entities that have occupied Gormouth for hundreds of years, and their interactions have been frequent. Even though their positions are opposed and conflict is inevitable… the Marquis of the Moon still wished to express the most basic courtesy before formally taking action. III
“Since Melvis has already instigated a covert war against the Noralia family, and you are willing to serve as his vanguard… then our battle is inevitable. I hope you two will forgive my subsequent undignified actions.” —Long
"Hey."
Even as he declared his intention to attack, Jude maintained the elegant tone characteristic of the Marquis of the Moon.
Before he finished speaking, he had already drawn a pale, salt-crystal-like ceremonial sword from his waist and leaped towards Victor. Taking advantage of the physical prowess of the Moon Familia, he became almost a crimson blur, his outline impossible to discern.
"Clang!" 4
The moment Jude's crystal saber clashed with Viktor's [S-055. Sharpness of Wounds], it was instantly covered in spiderweb-like cracks, before shattering into a shower of crystalline, pale dust.
But the next moment, the broken salt-like blade regrown from the guard, restoring it to its original state.
Jude's movements were incredibly fast, and his sword-drawing technique completely surpassed the limitations of human joints.
So this is what a "Family" is... Although they face extraordinary difficulties when ascending to the Apostle rank, they possess unparalleled advantages in battles among those of the same rank.
Viktor took a small half-step back with one foot, offsetting the enormous force transmitted along the gun handle.
Besides inflicting trauma and suffering, the corruption that the Mother of Ants brought upon her disciples also endowed them with bodies resembling serpents and pythons. This also allowed Viktor to transcend the constraints of human flesh and blood, possessing a resilience almost comparable to that of his fellow evil offspring.
The woman in the ochre dress couldn't engage in close combat with Jude and had to keep her distance to use her magic, but Victor didn't have this problem.
His vertical pupils, shaped like serpents, trembled wildly, precisely locking onto Jude, who was suspended in mid-air. He immediately hurled his spear, creating a sharp whistling sound as it tore through the air.
"Ok?"
Jude knew the danger of the relic in the other's hand and wanted to turn around and dodge, but his limbs seemed to have their own consciousness at this moment... all the commands that drove his muscles turned into chaotic tremors.
That was the second-class superior secret technique from the ochre-white dress, [Misty Velvet Sacrifice].
The sense of limbs is dulling, and a separate consciousness seems to be churning within the flesh. It is intense and frenzied, and if left unchecked, it will likely break through the outer shell of the flesh in the blink of an eye.
Jude's mind raced as he quickly analyzed the current situation. But Victor's gun was already close to his chest, leaving him no way to retreat.
"Peng!"
A crimson blood flower burst forth from his chest, his entire body transforming into pure blood, shattering and then reforming.
[Bat Transformation] is no longer usable. Under the influence of [Misty Sacrifice], recklessly using this innate secret technique will lead to unpredictable consequences. According to Jude's perception, at least one-third of the Blood Bats will break free from his control and "rebel."
Even if he used the secret technique [Blood Transformation], which would greatly increase the burden on his body, he was unwilling to be stabbed by the relic in Victor's hand.
In the more ancient times, the sharpest wound was a ritual object used in sacrifices. It could bestow upon the wounded unparalleled pain, a completely open mind, and clarity of thought and intellect.
But now, that spear has become an ominous object that spreads pollution within the soul.
The coordination between Victor and the woman in the ochre dress is proving more difficult than anticipated. The remaining eye hasn't appeared yet, and I've already been weakened… Now I can only try to create a bigger commotion.
Everything around Oak Shadow Nest would be observed by the Eye of the Dead, and Jude was well aware of why he hadn't made a move.
Suspicion.