《Mysterious》


 Chapter 1 start

    ¡°My God, what happened here?!¡±


    In the center of a lush forest, the ground for dozens of meters around looked as if it had been turned over, as if it had undergone a terrible upheaval in a short period of time.


    Before him lay a man dressed in a cleric''s robe, sprawled on the ground with a horrifying gash in his left chest, empty and hollow. His pristine white robe was stained red with blood, and his pupils were murky. Not far from him, a few scattered footprints led off into the distance.


    Tiny green dots of light, like fireflies, began to appear on the man''s body, and Quinn''s body moved toward them involuntarily as they slowly emerged.


    When the green dots had fully emerged and coalesced into a ball the size of a human head, it suddenly rushed toward Quinn and merged into his body like salt dissolving in water! In an instant, Quinn felt an indescribable pain that surpassed anything he had ever experienced in his two lifetimes.


    ¡°Ugh... Gaaaahhhh!!¡±


    He was terrified to find his perspective constantly shifting, sometimes high, sometimes low, covered by the green light that kept appearing. Looking down, his hands'' flesh had vanished, replaced by slowly writhing, intertwining vines! It seemed as if he was transforming into a monster step by step.


    He didn¡¯t know how long it took, but he eventually fell to the ground, his perspective gradually returning to normal, and then he saw a group of people, also in cleric''s robes, hurrying toward him.


    ¡°Mother Goddess protect¡­¡± These were the last words Quinn heard before he fell into darkness.


    Quinn Furi jerked awake, sitting up from deep darkness. Before him was a small cabin with four bunk beds and many people, some lying down, some sitting, most emitting steady snores.


    ¡°Damn, scared me to death. Why did I suddenly dream of the scene when I absorbed extraordinary characteristics back then?¡±


    Quinn panted lightly, reaching back to touch his back. His white bishop''s robe was unknowingly soaked with cold sweat.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Quinn?¡±


    The boy sleeping on the bunk above him was woken up, rubbing his eyes and asking from the bed. The boy¡¯s face was fair, with short, straight black hair, looking around fifteen years old.


    ¡°Uh¡­ Snow, I had a nightmare.¡±


    Quinn hesitated, feeling a bit embarrassed, and couldn¡¯t help scratching his soft, light green hair, different from ordinary people.


    ¡°Since you didn¡¯t die in the dream, it should be nothing serious¡­¡±


    Snow, the junior cleric assigned with Quinn to Ruen, mumbled something and lay back down.


    ¡°Hmph, I dreamt of you lying on a curly-haired baboon, fulfilling the teachings of the Mother Goddess. The scene was comparable to a Rose School ceremony. It scared me awake.¡±


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    ¡°Pfft¡­¡±


    Although Quinn couldn¡¯t see Snow¡¯s expression from the lower bunk, he knew he had achieved his purpose and felt a special sense of satisfaction.


    ¡°Knock, knock.¡±


    There were two soft knocks on the cabin door, and a low, methodical voice of a crew member came from outside, ¡°Gentlemen, please pack your luggage. Our ship will dock soon.¡±


    ¡°RUA!¡±


    Hearing this, Quinn and Snow straightened up, cheered softly, and quickly got out of bed. Quinn quickly tidied his clothes, picked up his leather suitcase with his left hand, and took a long staff-like object with his right. The object was wrapped in layers of white cloth stained with yellow and black, making its true appearance unclear.


    Snow climbed down the ladder, wearing a cleric¡¯s robe a size too small, and pulled his suitcase out from under Quinn¡¯s bed.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go! Don¡¯t wait for docking, I want to go home now!¡±


    Despite the calm and well-provisioned sea journey of several days, Quinn still found it unbearable.


    ¡°Woohoo!¡± The two figures, one tall and one short, gently pushed open the cabin door and quickly turned into two shadows heading for the deck.


    Under the deep night, the red moon hid among the clouds, quietly overlooking the earth. Not far away was a pier built of round logs, with the noisy commands of sailors and shouts of effort.


    ¡°Finally home! Until the next promotion, I¡¯m not going back to the Church headquarters!¡± Quinn stood by the iron railing, arms outstretched, silently declaring in his heart.


    ¡°Quinn, from here, you can see our church!¡± Snow leaned on the railing, pointing to a further place on the pier. Indeed, in the crimson moonlight, a golden spire could be faintly seen, standing tall in the port town shrouded in night.


    ¡°Heh, I saw the church from here earlier than you did.¡± Quinn said suddenly while looking at the port.


    Snow asked curiously, ¡°Why?¡±


    Quinn curled his lips into a cat-like grin, smug as a cat that had stolen fish, and said, ¡°Because, standing tall, you can see farther.¡±


    Snow, slightly shorter than his peers, was stunned for a second before reacting. Used to such teasing, he rolled his eyes and said, ¡°Mention my height again, and Danzeng will bite you.¡±


    ¡°Caw~¡± A loud bird call came from the clouds, and a large bird with green-black feathers swooped out, landing on the railing. Its black beady eyes looked at Snow in puzzlement. The bird¡¯s feathers were exceptionally unusual, each feather edge smooth, layered like scales, resembling the surging sea.


    Suddenly, a few twigs shot out from Quinn¡¯s collar, covering his face and forming an image Snow was all too familiar with:


    ¡°¡¥\_(¥Ä)_/¡¥¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Snow¡¯s face darkened. He was about to curse Quinn¡¯s ancestors resting in the Mother Goddess¡¯s kingdom, but before he could finish, Quinn turned into a pile of mud, slipping through the railing into the sea, and turned into a shadow heading toward the nearby port. Under the night, no one on the deck besides Snow saw this eerie scene.


    Soon, a pile of mud appeared on the dock, reformed into a figure in a white cleric¡¯s robe, holding a staff¡ªQuinn.


    ¡°Now that¡¯s what I call a professional druid~¡±


    He took out a few coins rarely seen in the Ruen Kingdom from his pocket, and without waiting for Snow still on the deck, he skillfully headed towards the town center, where the golden spire stood, gradually disappearing into the crowd.


    Not long after, Snow¡¯s figure appeared on the dock. He looked up at the moon¡¯s position, cursed silently, adjusted his cleric hat, and also headed towards the church with the golden spire in the distance.


    The port¡¯s lights were dim, the grand reception halls didn¡¯t belong to such a ship not meant for passengers. A large, wide plank was laid from the deck to the dock, and sailors, arm in arm, jubilantly headed for the taverns, while passengers disembarked one by one.


    On one side of the dock hung a wooden sign, its flamboyant handwriting declaring its name. A sailor, dragging a companion, asked, ¡°Caterpillar, what¡¯s this port called?¡±


    Impatiently, the companion glanced at the tavern and then at the sign, saying, ¡°Bi¡­ Ki¡­ Ni¡­ This place is called Bikini Beach!¡±


    Behind them, a man in a half-height silk hat and stern face widened his eyes.

 Chapter 2 small town

    "Indeed, it''s only here, in the place we built together, that I feel truly at ease."


    Quinn, the white-robed bishop, sat on a wooden bench inside the Harvest Church, his feet resting comfortably on the back of the bench in front. Sunlight streamed through the church¡¯s clear floor-to-ceiling windows, bathing the entire interior in a joyful golden hue.


    At this time, most residents of Bikini Beach were still at work, either at the docks or running businesses in town. Today wasn''t Monday, the church¡¯s service day, so the Harvest Church was empty except for the idling Quinn and Snow White, who was lounging with his legs crossed, reading the "Holy Bible of Life."


    It had been over five years since Quinn and Snow were dispatched by the Earth Mother Church from Fennepot to spread the faith in the Ruen Kingdom. In Ruen''s largest city, the capital Backlund, another devoted bishop of the Earth Mother Church was also preaching. To maximize manpower, Quinn had brought Snow to settle in a small fishing port with few inhabitants.


    Over time, as the church was established here, people began to flock to the area, gradually turning the fishing port into a small but bustling town with an economy that could support thousands. As the main contributor to this transformation, Quinn proposed a name change to the mayor, citing that the old name would attract the attention of evil gods. The frightened mayor quickly agreed, and the new name, Bikini Beach, was officially recorded on the Ruen Kingdom¡¯s map.


    Later, when Snow asked why Quinn chose the name Bikini Beach, Quinn simply smiled and said nothing.


    Apart from their first year, which was busy with settling in and passing a series of inspections, the remaining four years were filled with leisurely days. Not long ago, Quinn was summoned back to headquarters for a promotion to Sequence 5 Druid due to his contributions.


    Life in Harvest Church was monotonous. Although the two diligently fulfilled their preaching duties, they often felt bored and restless. Quinn, who loved excitement, found the tranquility suffocating. Fortunately, their old friend, Old Bob, would occasionally visit, bringing some much-needed laughter.


    Old Bob was the only person in town with extraordinary powers, living rough on the streets. He was tall, bearded, and often had scars on his face. Despite his mysterious abilities, he never sought a better life for himself.


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    "Hey, guys," called a tall figure in a shabby military uniform as he entered the golden Harvest Church. It was Old Bob.


    As soon as he entered, Snow pointed at him and laughed, "Old Bob, another new scar! Have you been peeping at Burg¡¯s little daughter again?"


    Burg¡¯s daughter, Linlan Burg, was known for her beauty, and every young man in town dreamed of making her his wife. However, she was not yet sixteen.


    Old Bob''s face twitched. He glanced at Snow and slowly said, "No mocking here!"


    Snow opened his mouth but found himself unable to speak, as if a noble, unquestionable force blocked his words.


    Quinn burst into laughter.


    Snow¡¯s eyes darted around, and he said, "Mocking? If you weren''t peeping, why the new scars?"


    Old Bob¡¯s face turned red and then pale, veins bulging on his forehead. He argued, "Visiting doesn¡¯t count as peeping... Peeping! Extraordinary matters aren¡¯t mere peeping!" He rattled off rules, such as "No slander here" and "No idle folks here," causing everyone to laugh. The church was filled with merry air, except for Snow, who was expelled by the decree.


    Old Bob tapped the back of a bench, looking at the laughing Quinn, whose face gradually returned to normal. "Quinn, heal my face," he said, laying out a few copper pennies on the bench. "Consider it a favor."


    Quinn examined Bob¡¯s wounds, raised his hand over them, and said, "Pain, pain, fly away~"


    Bob almost gagged but then rolled up his sleeve to see the wounds had vanished, like raindrops absorbed by the earth.


    He nodded. "The healing is amazingly efficient, if only the process weren''t so unpleasant."


    "The kids love it!" Quinn said, lifting his chin proudly.


    "But I''m not a kid," Bob retorted, tempted to use his "Barbarian" sequence strength to poke Quinn¡¯s nose mockingly.


    "Hey, it keeps you young," Quinn replied, raising an eyebrow.


    "You¡¯ve got some nerve."


    "...Meh."


    As the two bickered as usual, Snow re-entered the church, the decree¡¯s effect lifted.


    Snow, with his pale skin, avoided the direct sunlight, slipped back to his seat.


    "Clang~ Clang~" The church bell rang twelve times, but Harvest Church''s only two clergy remained in the golden hall.


    Quinn glanced at the central emblem, depicting wheat, a spring, and a baby, and smiled. "Humans aren¡¯t much better than plants in some aspects, like managing time, and..."


    "No metaphorical criticism here."


    Forced to shut up, Quinn¡¯s gaze still resolutely conveyed his thoughts.


    Meanwhile, outside the golden Harvest Church, a stern-faced man in a half-high silk hat walked by, silently muttering, "What mission brought this discordance? ''Bikini Beach''? Is it a coincidence..."


    "Interesting, the bishop here... Could he be a fellow countryman?"


    The man¡¯s grip on his cane tightened unconsciously.

 Chapter 3 hunterman

    "Sorry to intrude."


    A man with a stern face, wearing a medium-high silk top hat, walked into the church. Quinn and Snow quickly switched to a welcoming mode, no longer chatting with Old Bob.


    He didn''t rudely look around but instead walked unhurriedly towards Quinn, who was dressed in a bishop''s robe.


    "Hello, sir. I''m the bishop here. Have you eaten?"


    Quinn approached, adjusting his bishop''s hat, greeting him in his unique way.


    "... Yes, I have." The man paused, seemingly surprised by the opening, but quickly recovered.


    "The Mother cares for each of her children. What brings you here?"


    Quinn smiled and asked the strange man in front of him.


    Oddly, it seemed that when he greeted the stranger, the man''s eyes momentarily showed a complex expression.


    The man paused and replied calmly, "I was passing through this town and noticed that the faith here seems different from other ports. I was curious."


    In truth, that wasn''t the real reason for his visit. He didn''t know why he had come here, subconsciously choosing to seek help at the local church.


    "Well... this is the Church of the Earth Mother! I''m Bishop Quinn Fry here, and that child over there is Priest Snow White. If you don''t have a faith yet, are you interested in learning about the teachings of the Mother?"


    Quinn''s eyes lit up, quickly responding.


    How rare! It''s been so long since we had any new believers here. Apart from the residents of this town, all the sailors who pass through invariably worship the Lord of Storms, making it extremely difficult to develop new followers. After all, it seems the Mother has no jurisdiction over the sea.


    "A potential follower right in front of me, I can''t let him slip away!" Quinn thought, quietly straightening the hem of his robe.


    Meh? Is that a peculiar catchphrase of the people here? The man wondered, trying to keep his expression neutral.


    The man removed his hat, placed it on his chest, and introduced himself, "Gehrman Sparrow, an adventurer. I''m sorry, but I already have a faith."


    "However, I''m still very interested in your church."


    "After all, I''ve never heard of your church on the lands of the Ruen Kingdom."


    To be precise, it was only a few weeks ago that I fought a bishop from the Church of the Earth Mother. Gehrman thought to himself.


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    An adventurer! That sounds interesting, definitely more exciting than me being stuck here every day! Too bad he already has a faith... Quinn''s face immediately showed obvious signs of envy, longing, and a slight disappointment, but he didn''t forget his duties.


    He pulled Gehrman to sit on a bench, enthusiastically introducing the church while reaching inside his white robe: "Hey, we and the people of this town all worship the symbol of life, the Mother of all spiritual beings, the Earth Mother. We believe life is like a plant with an inherent mission... Want some sunflower seeds?"


    Huh? Gehrman''s stern face stiffened slightly, the topic change was too abrupt.


    He was about to politely refuse but saw Quinn take out a handful of golden sunflower seeds from his robe, popping one into his mouth. He vaguely heard a crunching sound, then saw Quinn''s throat move, swallowing the seed whole!


    Quinn sensed Gehrman''s seemingly puzzled gaze, paused, and recalled his actions.


    Come to think of it, the sunflower seeds outside are different from the ones I grow? He showed Gehrman the "sunflower seeds" in his hand¡ªgolden, plump, and round, easily reminiscent of certain cute little critters of the same color. He smiled and said, "A gift from the Mother... actually, I grew them myself."


    Why does the bishop carry a handful of sunflower seeds with him? Gehrman kept his face expressionless, reluctantly took a handful, and placed a seed between his teeth, gently cracking it.


    "No spiritual warning, probably safe... This chatting over snacks style is quite different from most residents of this continent, more like my homeland." Gehrman thought.


    Then he suddenly found that the shell cracked easily, but the inside seemed empty, and the shell had a slightly sweet taste?


    What is this? You call this a sunflower seed? Gehrman couldn''t help but complain inwardly.


    "Where was I... Oh, our faith is mostly concentrated in the Feneport region..."


    Gehrman listened attentively to the introduction when Quinn suddenly interjected:


    "Oh, by the way, I crossbred several generations to get it close to my ideal standard, but it still doesn''t have the taste I remember."


    "Actually... it tastes good."


    This bishop seems quite unorthodox...


    The stern-faced adventurer Gehrman listened quietly, responding with a sentence, his suspicions growing stronger.


    When Quinn finished his introduction, Gehrman stood up, picked up his hat next to the seat, and said:


    "Thank you for the explanation. I have some matters to attend to. See you next time."


    Quinn sat on the bench, smiling and waving:


    "See you next time~"


    Gehrman put on his medium-high silk top hat and slowly walked out of the church.


    "Snow, did you hear? He said he''s an adventurer!"


    As Gehrman stepped out, Quinn couldn''t wait to excitedly tell Snow.


    Adventurer, the term conjures up images of treasures, crises, battles, and encounters that make one''s blood rush, something Quinn, who detests monotony, naturally longs for.


    "What does an adventurer have to do with you? Don''t forget you''re the bishop of this church! Unless you succeed in spreading the faith, you can''t leave your post."


    Snow easily saw through Quinn''s intention to abandon him and wander off, mercilessly shattering his illusion.


    "Well... that''s why I have you, Snow!" Quinn said confidently.


    "...I really don''t know why they assigned you here..."


    Meanwhile, Gehrman exited the church, quickly entering an inn and renting a room.


    He stood in the middle of the room, walked four steps backward, then seemed to fall into a trance, his eyes becoming hazy.


    Before long, his eyes cleared up, showing some indescribable confusion and doubt, but a slight smile formed on his lips. He couldn''t help but mutter joyfully:


    "Quinn Fry is an Extraordinary of the mid-sequence..."


    "His priest is on the Moon Pathway..."


    "He is not a native of this continent..."


    "He... comes from the same place as I do..."

 Chapter 4 Empress

    ¡°I planted a seed~ It soon bore fruit~¡±


    In the courtyard behind the Harvest Church, there was a well in the lower right corner. Next to the well stood a small, low wooden house, through whose windows various farming tools could be seen.


    Most of the courtyard was enclosed by a white-painted wooden fence, filled with all sorts of plants with no gaps left. Vines and branches twisted and intertwined in clumps, making it nearly impossible for an ordinary person to discern how many kinds of crops were growing there.


    Quinn, still wearing his bishop¡¯s robe but without his hat, had his jade-green hair tied back. He deftly grasped the main stem of a vine-like plant from among the tangled greenery and plucked a thumb-sized, purple-black fruit from it.


    He examined the fruit with a satisfied nod before tossing it into his mouth.


    Quinn¡¯s face twisted like a wrung cloth after chewing for a moment.


    ¡°Bleh!¡±


    He spat the remnants onto the ground, where they quickly blended into the soil.


    ¡°Why is it that plants with extraordinary properties can never be both aesthetically pleasing and delicious¡­¡±


    During non-worship hours, Quinn usually left the task of attending to the townspeople to Snow. Snow was perfectly capable of handling most of the residents¡¯ needs, such as poor harvests, injuries, or marital discord. Meanwhile, Quinn hid in the church¡¯s backyard garden, tending to his extraordinary plants.


    This served to enhance his extraordinary abilities and also¡­ he was a foodie.


    ¡°How can I, from the land of great food, not manage to make these unappealing plants taste good? Maybe adjusting the ratio of the Sunya Golden Spring water next time will reduce the bitterness¡ª¡±


    Suddenly, Quinn felt a sense of impending darkness enveloping him. A gray fog materialized from the void, surrounding him, and his spirit seemed to be transported to an infinitely high and unknown place.


    ¡°Where¡­ where am I?¡±


    As he regained his senses, Quinn found himself surrounded by an endless expanse of gray mist. Looking up, he saw a colossal palace that seemed to belong to giants, with an ancient, weathered bronze long table in its center.


    At the head of the table sat a mysterious figure shrouded in gray fog, gazing at Quinn with what seemed like a smile.


    I must have attracted the attention of some mysterious entity! What did I do to make Him notice me? Sorry, little grape, I shouldn¡¯t have spat you out¡­


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    Quinn quickly realized the situation, though his thoughts were somewhat misguided.


    Or is this because of that adventurer from yesterday? Feeling a bit lost, he saw the unknown figure still watching him with that smile, as if waiting for him to speak. This made Quinn as nervous as when he dozed off during an extraordinary class and was caught by the lecturer.


    Have you eaten? No, no¡­ this entity might not have food-related needs; that would be impolite. Carefully, Quinn stood up and asked:


    ¡°May I ask who you are¡­?¡±


    The mysterious entity at the other end of the table nodded slowly and said unhurriedly, ¡°You may call me¡­¡±


    ¡°The Fool.¡±


    The Fool? Pfft¡­ What an interesting name. No, I must hold it in¡ªif He can hear my thoughts, I¡¯m doomed!


    Quinn froze momentarily, then lowered his head slightly, tightly pressing his lips together. After a second or two, he heard the enigmatic figure say:


    ¡°Your fate has undergone an intriguing change, affecting the things and people around you, which has piqued my interest.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, Quinn, but I need to trick you to figure out why I was inexplicably drawn here! This ¡®old friend¡¯ meeting method is quite unique.¡±


    ¡°The Fool¡± Klein wasn¡¯t ready to reveal his identity to this ¡°fellow countryman¡± just yet. He needed to ascertain if Quinn¡¯s position aligned with his and whether there were any higher powers like Amon, the True Creator, or even more terrifying beings involved behind the scenes.


    Quinn cautiously asked, ¡°Mr. Fool, what do you want from me?¡±


    ¡°The Fool¡± Klein leaned forward slightly, hands interlaced under his chin, and replied with a serious tone:


    ¡°There might be someone manipulating your fate, and I¡­ wish for things to follow their original course.¡±


    ¡°For this, I hope you can establish a connection with me. This way, you can learn about the possible purpose and identity of the being behind your fate.¡±


    ¡°Of course, you can choose to accept or decline.¡±


    Tsk, you drag me here without a word, scare me half to death, then put on a humanitarian face to trick me into signing some contract. I¡¯ve seen this kind of thing too many times!


    But¡­ I have no other choice.


    ¡°Ah, I accept.¡± Quinn forced a smile that was closer to crying.


    ¡°Ah¡­ it seems this fellow countryman isn¡¯t very willing. But I¡¯m not some evil god or demon. As long as he agrees, things will be easier!¡± Klein thought.


    ¡°If you encounter difficulties, you can call upon my honorific: ¡®The Fool who does not belong to this era, the King of Yellow and Black who wields good luck, the Mysterious Ruler above the gray fog.¡¯¡±


    For this fellow countryman, Klein felt it necessary to offer special care.


    The Fool who does not belong to this era¡­ Quinn pondered the words, memorizing them.


    ¡°Now,¡± Klein waved his hand, and the gray fog in front of Quinn coalesced into a deck of Tarot cards. ¡°Choose one as your codename among us.¡±


    ¡°Us?¡± Quinn asked in confusion.


    ¡°Yes, ¡®us.¡¯ Besides you, there are others who have chosen to connect with me for various reasons. Among them, a regular gathering has formed where they exchange knowledge, formulas, extraordinary materials, and commission tasks.¡±


    Hearing that there were others like him and that they had formed a group, Quinn¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He boldly asked:


    ¡°Can I join them?¡±


    ¡°The Fool¡± Klein smiled and said, ¡°Yes, every Monday afternoon at three.¡±


    ¡°Hm,¡± Quinn nodded at the answer, lowered his head, and started to shuffle the Tarot cards, silently lamenting, ¡°In the face of fate¡¯s tide, I can only go with the flow¡­ life is hard.¡±


    ¡°My turn, draw a card!!¡±


    Quinn closed his eyes, steeled himself, and swiftly drew a card from the deck, then turned it over to face himself.


    ¡°The¡­ Empress?!¡±

 Chapter 5 ready

    Snow woke up in his room as usual, still enveloped in the deep darkness of the night. The wheat-shaped hands of the clock on the wall pointed to three in the morning, but he often felt more energetic in the night than during the day.


    Today, however, he noticed that the door to Quinn¡¯s room across from his was wide open. Quinn was sitting in the middle of the room, surrounded by boxes and bags, looking as if he were preparing for a long journey.


    Snow was momentarily stunned before a sinister smile crept across his face, made more eerie by the crimson moonlight outside. In an instant, he transformed into a shadow and swiftly moved along the shadowy paths to appear behind Quinn.


    Perhaps because Snow harbored no killing intent, the not-so-alert Quinn remained focused on packing his things, unaware of Snow¡¯s presence.


    ¡°Good morning!!!¡±


    ¡°Ah! Good good good¡­ morning!¡±


    Quinn, engrossed in his packing, was so startled by Snow¡¯s sudden appearance that he nearly jumped out of his skin. He clutched the pocket he was working on, instinctively answering with his eyes closed.


    He then slowly turned around, seeing Snow behind him, and glanced at the conspicuous piles of luggage around him, despair flooding his eyes.


    It¡¯s over, I can¡¯t hide this! No, I must stay calm¡­ Snow¡¯s intelligence is about the same as mine; maybe I can bluff my way out of this! Quinn worried that his secret of being watched by a mysterious entity would be exposed, especially given his current unusual behavior.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Snow¡¯s pale red eyes stared at Quinn in confusion.


    ¡°That¡­ that¡­¡± Think, brain, think! Got it!


    Quinn forced a laugh, sweat forming on his face, and stammered:


    ¡°Just, uh, the new family in town¡­ As the bishop of Bikini Beach¡¯s only official church, I must, of course, pay them a visit!¡±


    ¡°Bullshit,¡± Snow responded flatly. ¡°In the five years you¡¯ve been here, I can count the times you¡¯ve left this church on one hand. And now you suddenly decide to visit new residents? You might as well say you¡¯ve been marked by an evil god or demon and are planning to run away!¡±


    ¡°Spill it!¡±


    Wait, why is Snow so smart today? Quinn became even more anxious: Should I just tell him everything? But he quickly dismissed that thought.


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    Yes, Quinn was packing up to flee. He planned to head to the Earth Mother¡¯s main temple in Feynapotter, hoping the angels there could remove the mark left by the ¡°Fool,¡± even though hope seemed slim after he made a pact with the ¡°Fool¡± and was branded.


    After his conversation with the ¡°Fool¡± yesterday, his spirit returned to the material world, but he noticed an ancient, mysterious crown-shaped mark on the back of his right hand. Under the sunlight, it quickly merged into his skin.


    Revealing the ¡°Fool¡¯s¡± information without confirming whether he was some evil, hidden entity could draw more of his attention! Then not only he and Snow but the entire town could be targeted and corrupted¡­ There was too much unknown about them.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll tell you!¡±


    Quinn steeled himself.


    ¡°The, uh, new family¡­ I happened to see their little girl, um¡­ I found her very¡­ um, so I decided to bring ¡®some¡¯ gifts!¡±


    ¡°!¡±


    As soon as Quinn blurted out this hastily concocted excuse, he saw Snow¡¯s pale red eyes flare with terrifying blood-red light in the darkness.


    The meaning of that light was unmistakable¡ªeven to the muddled Quinn: ¡°Gossip!¡± This was Snow¡¯s most intense thought.


    Mother Goddess! Quinn, this reclusive person who lived like a vampire, wanted to make a move. It was unbelievable!


    Great, I think I fooled him! Quinn silently cheered.


    Wait¡­ something¡¯s off. Snow suddenly asked:


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, no buts, I¡¯m leaving!¡±


    Quinn didn¡¯t give Snow a chance to question further. With a wave of his hand, red soil surged from the gaps in the walls, outside the windows, and under the chimney, enveloping him and his packages. He sank into the ground, quickly disappearing from the room without disturbing anything.


    But they only have a son¡­ Snow¡¯s unspoken words caught in his throat. However, Quinn, being a Sequence 6 Biologist, was undoubtedly more knowledgeable about the differences between genders than Snow, a Sequence 7 Vampire.


    As he recalled the new family¡¯s child¡¯s appearance, Snow¡¯s expression became twisted, puzzled, and confused.


    ¡°What a heavy taste¡­ No wonder he¡¯s Mother Goddess¡¯ favored.¡±


    ¡°Mother Goddess¡­ Please save your poor follower; he might be targeted by some bad guy!¡±


    Quinn sped through the soil with his luggage, moving faster than the highest-powered steam train. He couldn¡¯t help but sigh inwardly.


    The mark of a mysterious entity didn¡¯t draw the Mother Goddess¡¯ attention! Has the Mother Goddess abandoned me¡­ No, I can¡¯t think that way, Quinn! Maybe the Mother Goddess¡¯ guidance was intercepted by the Roselle¡¯s angel! Persistence is victory¡­


    Hmm¡­ The ¡°Fool¡± said the gathering is at three in the afternoon on Monday, which is today!


    Right, today is Sunday¡­ Quinn thought of the people in Bikini Beach: Snow, Old Bob, and more, silently praying in the church, while the bishop himself was missing. A sense of loss filled his heart.


    He changed his direction from heading towards the port to the vast wilderness away from the coast. Finding a secluded spot, he used his Farmer ability to dig an underground chamber the size of a washroom and entered it.


    I¡¯ll stay here until three, attend that gathering, and then decide what to do next. Quinn unconsciously tidied his bishop¡¯s robe.


    His gaze fell on the large boxes around him, thinking apprehensively:


    ¡°Will they like these ¡®local specialties¡¯¡­¡±


    As the sun in the sky moved lower, Quinn, bored and playing with the sensitive plants he had grown, suddenly jolted.


    It¡¯s almost time. He sat up straight, then saw layers of gray fog emerge from the boundless void, engulfing him.

 Chapter 6 Tarot Club

    Above the boundless gray fog, a grand palace, reminiscent of a giant''s dwelling, stood silently.


    Twenty-two ancient, heavy chairs formed a circle around a similarly ancient and mottled bronze long table in the center. Out of the twenty-two chairs, only seven had occupants, and Quinn was among them. The mysterious "Fool" sat at the head, lightly tapping the bronze table with his fingers before speaking:


    "A new member has joined."


    Swish, swish, swish! Before Quinn could observe the other members, he felt several direct gazes land on him, making him, someone who had long been reclusive, feel a bit unnerved.


    Then, at his one o''clock position, a tall woman with golden hair but a blurred face stood up, facing the "Fool" and bowing, saying, "Good afternoon, Mr. Fool~"


    After the "Fool" nodded in acknowledgment, she greeted each member:


    "Good afternoon, Mr. Hanged Man~"


    "Good afternoon, Mr. Sun~"


    "Good afternoon, Mr. World~"


    ¡­


    After greeting every attending member, she turned her gaze to Quinn:


    "You can call me ''Justice''," she said with a flawless smile.


    "Queen... Queen."


    Quinn recalled his codename, feeling his face redden under the layers of gray fog. He bit his lip and said, This is destiny... he thought gloomily.


    "Queen"? "Justice" Audrey Hall blinked, slightly doubting her eyes.


    Even though the figure isn''t entirely clear here, "Queen" looks like a male... Did he choose this codename himself? Hmm, thinking like that is impolite. She nodded and sat down.


    Using her Sequence 7 Spectator pathway abilities, "Justice" took a subtle look at "Queen" Quinn, gathering plenty of information:


    "Mr. Queen seems a bit nervous, which is a common reaction for every newcomer." Her hands were properly placed on the bronze table, "He''s fidgeting slightly, like a child being called to the principal''s office for a scolding. His accent is very unfamiliar, suggesting he''s not from Ruen, more like the foreign guests my father used to entertain."


    Here, I am completely new, better get acquainted with the members first... Quinn took the opportunity before the transactions started and while the "Fool" hadn''t spoken yet to observe each member.


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    "Justice" seems to be a woman, exuding elegance and poise, with a notable respect for the "Fool" and familiarity with new members, likely an early member of the gatherings. She appears to have a high emotional intelligence, so one should be careful around her, though she likely won''t act maliciously given her demeanor.


    "The Hanged Man" has bluish hair, reminiscent of seaweed... likely an Extraordinary of the Sailor pathway, but it can''t be concluded definitively yet. He seems to have an air of hidden depths, making him rare like a panda among Sailor pathway individuals.


    "Mr. Sun"... Ah, he''s also looking at me. That direct gaze... seems somewhat naive, or rather, simple-minded, with a vibe similar to protagonists in adventure anime from my previous life!


    Quinn smiled at "Sun," who seemed startled but returned the smile.


    "Mr. World" looks like he has a debt of thousands of pounds, cold and stern like a villain boss. His expression and movements are almost inhuman, cold and rigid... I''d be scared if he suddenly smiled at me.


    "Miss Magician" seems a bit distracted, as if she was dragged here unexpectedly, much like me. Possibly a hidden expert...


    "Moon"... Huh? Black hair, red eyes, looks a lot like Snow... Could he be a vampire too? And although his attire is unclear, I can''t mistake this¡ªit''s a priest''s robe of our Earth Mother Church! This...


    "I heard Bishop Vladimir in Backlund caught a vampire and planted the faith of the Mother in him. Could it be him?"


    As Quinn observed "Moon," "Moon" was also observing him, and upon seeing the slightly blurred Earth Mother bishop''s robe on him, "Moon" clearly paused.


    At this moment, "Justice" stood up and said:


    "Mr. Fool, I recently obtained two more pages of Roselle''s diary."


    Then, pages of parchment materialized in front of her, and she bowed her head, quickly transcribing lines of text onto the parchment. Her words, however, stirred up a storm of thoughts in Quinn''s mind.


    "Roselle''s diary! Why is the ''Fool'' collecting his diary? Could He also understand it? But it''s in Simplified Chinese! Could He be from the same world as me?"


    A series of monumental questions surged in his mind, making him almost unable to contain his excitement, his gaze involuntarily drawn to the ever-mysterious figure of the "Fool."


    The "Fool" Klein nodded internally, "Queen''s" reaction further confirmed his suspicion that he was also a transmigrator, though Klein still harbored apprehensive doubts, fearing that uncovering this veil would bring a significant blow.


    The "Fool" sat quietly, reading, and seeing that the others had no intention of speaking, Quinn suppressed his inner tumult.


    Phew... no need to get excited. Perhaps Simplified Chinese is no longer a secret among hidden existences... he told himself, trying to calm his racing heart.


    Soon, the "Fool" put down the parchment and nodded slightly:


    "Now, we proceed to the trading segment."


    The contents of the trades can reflect the overall level of an Extraordinary gathering. I might not participate, but I should listen carefully. Quinn reminded himself.


    As the discussions on entities like the "Elder Tree," "Vampire," and "Mirror Dragon" ensued, Quinn formed a rough judgment.


    These creatures aren''t too dangerous or eerie, mostly around Sequence 7. As a Sequence 6 "Biologist," Quinn had detailed knowledge of various Extraordinary beings'' anatomies and was familiar with most of them.


    It seems that aside from its secrecy and mystery, this gathering''s level isn''t particularly high. With this in mind, he mustered his courage and voiced a request:


    "Um... do any of you have any information on the ''Philosopher''s Stone''?"

 Chapter 7 The Philosopher鈥檚 Stone

    "Philosopher''s Stone?!"


    Above the gray fog, everyone''s thoughts echoed with questions.


    "Justice" couldn''t contain her excitement as her eyes sparkled:


    "Mr. Queen, are you talking about the legendary Philosopher''s Stone that can turn base metals into gold and grant immortality?"


    Quinn nodded and said, "Um... from your description, it seems we''re talking about the same Philosopher''s Stone."


    "Does it really exist?" "Justice" couldn''t hold back her curiosity and asked.


    "Ah, it does exist, and I''m in the process of making one," Quinn replied.


    Whoosh! At the moment Quinn said this, it felt as though a gust of eerie wind swept over the gray fog, making the atmosphere of the Tarot Club strange¡ª"Justice," "The Hanged Man," "The Moon," "The Magician"... everyone''s gazes seemed to change:


    "Justice" looked as excited as a little girl who had seen a delicate doll, "The World" became as stiff as a puppet with its strings cut, "The Hanged Man" started breathing as heavily as a sea breeze, "The Moon''s" eyes seemed even redder, and "The Sun"... well, he seemed not to fully understand what was going on. Was it just an illusion, or did even the gaze of the enigmatic "Fool" change slightly?


    "By the Goddess, I didn''t think such a thing actually existed. So those fantasy novels I read weren''t entirely false!" "Justice" thought in disbelief.


    "Um..." Seeing the various expressions of the members, Quinn took a hidden deep breath and continued a bit awkwardly, "But... its practicality is somewhat..."


    "Somewhat...?" All the Tarot members couldn''t help but ask inwardly.


    "Somewhat... limited. The power of the Philosopher''s Stone isn''t unlimited. Immortality doesn''t mean eternal life like the gods. If used as an elixir of life, it can only extend one''s life by a few thousand years. For Extraordinary individuals of similar levels, their lifespans are almost comparable, and the Philosopher''s Stone would hardly affect them."


    He added, "Also, if an ordinary person uses the Philosopher''s Stone, it often leads to terrible mutations."


    "And, non-eternal immortality often brings torment."


    "Even if the Philosopher''s Stone isn''t as perfect as imagined, it''s still an extremely long life!" "The Moon" Emlyn White couldn''t help but exclaim. This would drive almost anyone mad! he thought.


    "The Moon''s" lifespan was already much longer than that of ordinary people. As a Sequence 7 "Vampire," he had several hundred years, but compared to thousands of years, it still seemed short.


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    "What about the ability to turn base metals into gold?"


    At this point, sitting opposite the "Fool" at the end of the bronze long table, the gloomy, corpse-like "The World" suddenly spoke.


    Yes! That''s also what we want to ask! The rest subtly perked up their ears.


    "Turning base metals into gold... huh, the Philosopher''s Stone can indeed convert materials, creating gold worth tens of thousands of pounds. However..."


    "However...???" The curiosity of the Tarot members surged like a midnight tide.


    Stop keeping us in suspense! Klein roared inwardly.


    "The cost of the Philosopher''s Stone is extremely high, requiring various mid-sequence Extraordinary materials. Its value is almost equivalent to the gold it can produce, and it''s practically priceless. Heh, you could think of it as a large wallet... just easier to lose. If those alchemists, who''ve nearly turned themselves into gold, found out some people were using the Philosopher''s Stone just for gold, they''d probably lose control on the spot."


    Ah... what a pity... was the collective sentiment of the Tarot members at this moment. Even though they knew this world wasn''t a bedtime fairy tale, the feeling of a shattered dream still left them somewhat melancholic.


    "So, what is the real use of the Philosopher''s Stone?" "Justice" Audrey couldn''t help but ask in curiosity, then immediately felt embarrassed by her bluntness and quickly added, "I will do my best to pay for this information."


    "No worries, this thing isn''t quite common knowledge, but it''s not exactly a secret either," Quinn waved his hand nonchalantly and said:


    "Its real value lies in alchemy¡ªit''s an extremely excellent catalyst that can facilitate or slow down reactions between various Extraordinary materials. With just one Philosopher''s Stone, you can scale countless mountains of knowledge and conduct all sorts of incredible experiments." At this point, his face showed the longing and desire of every academic for effortlessly publishing papers without needing to do experiments.


    Circle? Common knowledge? Catalyst? These words sounded very foreign to "Justice" Audrey, like they came from some unknown commentary by Emperor Roselle.


    The "Fool" Klein, surrounded by swirling gray fog, listened quietly with a faint smile on his face.


    In fact, Quinn hadn''t mentioned another use of the Philosopher''s Stone: his Sequence 5 "Druid" potion had been fully digested over the years through sporadic role-playing during his preaching. And crafting a Philosopher''s Stone was the ritual required for him to become a Sequence 4 demigod "Ancient Alchemist"!


    Although this was quite costly, it was safe and simple. As long as the materials and knowledge were up to par, achieving demigod status wouldn''t take long. Fortunately, as the bishop of the Earth Mother Church and the largest supplier of agricultural products facing the Ruen Kingdom, he legally owned several farms and plantations in the Fennepot Kingdom.


    If he wished, he could even live as an untitled noble. "But with the apocalypse coming in just a few years, how could I give up and lie down now? How could I face so many fellow transmigrators like Emperor Roselle who never ceased to strive?"


    Through the diaries of Emperor Roselle collected over the years, he understood that in those high-level worlds, even true gods could face death. Only by achieving the status of an Old One could one ensure their preservation.


    "Only by becoming strong enough can I protect the people and things I cherish before the apocalypse arrives."


    Quinn fell into a daze, his fingers unconsciously stroking the ancient bronze long table. "I have obtained the formula for the ''Ancient Alchemist'' potion and the corresponding ritual. By using the contributions accumulated over the years, I can request a primary material from the church. As for the remaining materials..."


    He looked up at the endlessly swirling illusory gray fog, seeing the enigmatic "Fool" and the various members of the gathering. With a half-sorrowful, half-ironic smile, he thought:


    "I can only hope for the blessings from these hidden existences, hehe."

 Chapter 8 Rose School

    To Quinn''s disappointment, the discussion about the Philosopher''s Stone in the Tarot Club sparked interest but yielded no further information.


    "I''m sorry, Mr. Queen. If we come across any relevant news, we''ll keep an eye out for you," said "Justice," who had received a wealth of knowledge without charge. The other Tarot members, who had also benefited from the information, nodded in agreement.


    "Mr. Queen is amazing, wanting to create something as legendary as the Philosopher''s Stone. He must be a formidable Extraordinary, right? Sequence Six? Sequence Five?" Justice wondered inwardly.


    If the effects of the Philosopher''s Stone were as Mr. Queen described, then it must be a Sequence Five... or even a demigod-level item. Wanting to create it means Mr. Queen is at least a Sequence Five powerhouse. Sigh... Alger thought his promotion speed was already faster than most Extraordinary, but the sudden emergence of a mid-sequence powerhouse still gave him a sense of urgency.


    Ah... Quinn shook off his disappointment and continued to ask:


    "Then, please keep an eye out for any news about the ''Blood Crown.'' If you find anything, let me know, and I will pay with equivalent materials or money."


    After everyone nodded in agreement, the "Fool" at the head of the table tapped his fingers on the desk and said:


    "That will be all for today''s Tarot Club meeting."


    The infinite illusory gray fog dissipated, and in a flash, Quinn found himself back in the real world, in his underground chamber.


    "..."


    He looked down to find the small grass he had unconsciously been gripping tightly for a long time. He loosened his hand.


    The leaves of the sensitive plant curled up timidly, yet its bent stem still stood resiliently.


    Quinn sighed deeply, summoned a large patch of soil to envelop himself and his luggage, and instead of heading to the port, he made his way toward the Harvest Church.


    Ruen Kingdom''s capital, Backlund, Rose Street''s Harvest Church


    Emlyn White, having just returned from the gray fog, scanned the room and found the burly, robe-filling Father Utravsky. He eagerly asked:


    "Father, are there any more of your... our... people from the Earth Mother Church in the Ruen Kingdom?"


    Father Utravsky, who was praying quietly, looked at him and said, "In fact, there is another bishop along the coastal area spreading the Mother God''s faith."


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    "Where did you hear this?"


    Emlyn raised his chin and said, "That''s my secret."


    Father Utravsky said nothing, but suddenly looked towards the open doors of the Harvest Church.


    Whoosh! An ethereal fawn hopped in, its patterns ancient yet natural, with intricate antlers like the roots of ancient trees. As it leaped, fresh grass sprouted in its path, and the ivy on the church walls seemed to tremble with joy.


    The church''s damp, unclean Backlund air seemed replaced by the fragrance of wildflowers and grass, yet the fawn was invisible to the passing congregation.


    The fawn held a white letter in its mouth, indicating for Father Utravsky to take it. He took the letter, and the fawn gracefully vanished into the air.


    "What was that just now?" Emlyn White asked in awe.


    "That was a natural spirit sent by the bishop I mentioned, acting as a messenger," Father Utravsky said while carefully opening the letter.


    A messenger? I thought they were usually weird or creepy, but this bishop''s messenger is... beautiful. Emlyn mused.


    Father Utravsky read the letter privately in a corner:


    "Dear Brother Utravsky,


    I want to advance but lack materials, so I''m planning to take on a mission to eliminate a Rose School of Thought base. They should have the materials I need, and I can accumulate contributions.


    The nearest base is in the southern continent, at Atia-Dadli Port. We can meet at a hotel there.


    Will you join me?


    Your friend, Quinn Fley"


    Father Utravsky''s expression tensed up. He walked into the Harvest Church''s basement and soon emerged carrying a large, heavy box about 1.8 meters long and as wide as a door. He looked at Emlyn and said,


    "From today, you will be in charge of the church''s affairs as the acting bishop. You can choose to leave, but make sure to inform the congregation."


    "What? What do you mean, Father?" Emlyn White couldn''t believe his ears.


    Father Utravsky, with a serious expression, continued, "I have to leave for a while."


    Emlyn saw the gravity on Father Utravsky''s face and the prominent box in his hands. He hesitated but then said,


    "Take care."


    Father Utravsky smiled, made a prayer gesture, and said, "The Mother Goddess protects us."


    He then walked out the door. Emlyn White watched his back, clenched his teeth, and picked up the Book of Life, stepping into the bishop''s role.


    Inham Coastal Area, Bikini Beach


    "If you die out there, I''ll uproot everything you''ve planted in your backyard!" Snor shouted from the church''s shadow.


    Quinn smiled, waved without looking back, indicating he understood.


    Holding a long rod wrapped in white cloth in his right hand, with a patched bag hanging from it, Quinn had changed out of his white Earth Mother bishop''s robe and donned a black long coat, resembling a mismatched vagabond, heading toward the port.


    "Huh?" A shabby military uniform-wearing old Bob blocked his path. Quinn smiled and said,


    "It''s just a trip. It''s not like I''ll meet a demigod. Why are you all so nervous?"


    "No lies here."


    "Actually, I was lying. I''ve hardly ever fought. I''m scared out of my wits. If not for the need to advance to a demigod, I''d never go!"


    Sigh... Bob''s wrinkled, scarred face showed helplessness.


    "Take this," Bob handed Quinn a sacred-looking, intricately patterned talisman, about the size of a palm. "Say ''take off'' in Ancient Hermes, and it will help you escape."


    Quinn was stunned, looking at the talisman and then at Bob.


    He gave Bob a heartfelt, grateful smile:


    "Thanks, buddy. I won''t dilute your life potion next time!"


    Huh? Bob''s mind was filled with a big question mark. Then he realized:


    "You bastard..."


    "Bye-bye~" Quinn merged into the ground, swiftly heading to the port.

 Chapter 9 Extermination

    Southern Continent, Port Adya Daddley, "Riverwood Rooster" Inn


    "So, let''s go over the intelligence regarding this mission one last time."


    Dressed in a black flowing trench coat with a black hooded robe draped over him, Keuen Free, carrying a long white cloth-wrapped pole about the height of a person, spoke unusually seriously to Father Utralovski.


    "Chun Jankitzd, Rank 5 ''Specter of Resentment,'' can transform his own state into a true shadow, possesses extremely strong physical qualities, high recovery abilities, and abilities such as ''Resentful Possession,'' ''Resentful Screech,'' ''Mirror Flash,'' ''Control of Frost,'' etc. He also holds unknown non-combat magical items, posing the greatest threat to our operation. It requires our cooperation to deal with him at the beginning or end of the operation."


    "Fran Ruivio," Rank 7 ''Werewolf,'' has superhuman healing abilities, terrifying strength, agility, and speed, poisonous claws and teeth, and mastery of dark spells. Ah, this one, Father Utralovski, you''ll handle alone."


    "All the ordinary people and low-rank extraordinaries inside the ''Rose School'' stronghold will be handled by me. Father, conserve your strength to deal with Chun Jankitzd."


    "If this operation succeeds, Father, you will receive all extraordinary items except for Chun Jankitzd''s extraordinary attributes and magical items, including gold pounds. If there are items or materials of Rank 5 or higher, they will belong to me."


    "Understood?"


    "I understand."


    Bishop Utralovski nodded solemnly. Keuen, as the main force of this extermination, undertakes various duties such as infiltration, information gathering, assassination, ambushes, and attacks, while the priest can only be effective in two battles. Such allocation seemed fair to him.


    He also changed out of his always tightly stretched white bishop robe. Now he wore a set of solemn and cold full-body armor, carrying a heavy sword like a door plank even taller than Keuen. Paired with his over two-meter height, he looked like a giant from mythology here.


    "Well then, let the operation begin."


    The Rose School stronghold was not far from the town, making it more convenient for members to capture humans for their sacrificial rituals, part of their ancient and bloody primitive worship tradition. Keuen and Father Utralovski walked for hours along the main road from the town to the foot of the Frostfall Mountain.


    Here, despite being in the Southern Continent, the terrain was steep and snow-covered all year round. Looking up from the foot of the mountain, the snowy peaks pierced straight into the clouds. Among the rugged peaks, there were only scattered boulders and sharp rocks. It was hard to imagine any human activity here, unless they were no longer human...


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    "...This is it, Father. Let me take you up."


    With a stomp of his foot, the ground surged like a tumultuous sea, swallowing the two, heading towards the mountaintop.


    Bishop Utralovski felt peculiar at this moment. The endlessly thick soil around him seemed capable of squashing him into a pulp at any moment, yet he could swiftly move through it, feeling only the warmth, moisture, and comforting sensation brought by the soil that had existed for millions of years, as if he were in a mother''s cradle. He was certain that ordinary "druids" wouldn''t have such power to subdue the land.


    "So this is the Guardian of the Land..." The priest suddenly felt that the person beside him possessed a motherly comforting power.


    They stopped halfway up the mountain. Keuen stuck his head out from the ground, quietly observing:


    In front of them, aside from scattered rubble, there stood a dismal white fortress made of bricks. Along the walls of the fortress, there hung various unknown objects on hemp ropes. On closer inspection, those were human corpses with no features or limbs, leaving behind dark red cavities!


    "Damn, this is truly terrifying." Keuen, who had dissected over a hundred human corpses in his role as a "biologist," felt a bit horrified.


    He cautiously led the priest forward, wriggling ahead without alerting the patrolling guards. Only ordinary people patrolled the walls of the fortress, completely unaware of their presence.


    Inside the walls, a gruesome scene unfolded before Keuen''s eyes: in a square enclosure surrounded by iron chains, a large group of figures danced wildly. Among them were humans and non-humans, tearing at each other madly, corpses, living beings, and undead tearing at each other as if deriving supreme pleasure from this primitive carnage.


    Outside the enclosure, wearing leather armor from head to toe, "werewolf" Fran Ruivio sat in the best seat to observe the whole spectacle, watching the madness and indulgence within.


    Suddenly, her gaze shifted towards Keuen Free''s direction, casting a playful glance at the empty land, at Keuen!


    "I''ll tear you apart," she suddenly smiled.


    Oh no, they''ve been spotted! Keuen''s thoughts flashed.


    Boom! The ground shook violently as if it had been gnawed by a beast, and a phantom figure appeared above Keuen''s head, lifting his left hand high, preparing to strike again.


    "Specter of Resentment" Chun Jankitzd!


    All hell broke loose... Keuen believed his plan hadn''t changed too slowly, but he felt the timing was even better now!


    "Father, let''s go!" Two figures, one large and one small, emerged from the earth. Chun Jankitzd''s indifferent gaze fell upon them, as if observing two lifeless objects. He remained silent, but his left hand swiftly prepared to attack!


    Clang! The sharp claws clashed with the sharp sword, stirring distant echoes. "Dawn!" Utralovski intercepted the Specter''s claw strike in mid-air, then uttered a low shout, and the surrounding fifty meters were filled with dawn! Here, illusions and specters would be weakened.


    "Hold him off, Father!" Keuen quickly urged. The Rank 6 "Dawn Knight" had terrifying frontal combat capabilities and could temporarily resist the Specter, while Keuen planned to deal with the "werewolf" and her frenzied followers!


    However, Chun Jankitzd had no intention of tangling with Father Utralovski. In an instant, he turned into an unobservable shadow and disappeared from his original position. Keuen knew his target was himself! However, he wasn''t panicked at this moment.


    "Attack!" Instead of seeking out the Specter''s whereabouts, the priest plunged his giant sword into the ground! A storm of light erupted from the ground! This storm continuously tore at the intangible Specter, forcing him to let out a scream and halting his attack on Keuen.


    Keuen had anticipated this and leaped backward, then swiftly sank into the earth again.


    "Werewolf" Fran Ruivio stormed in like a hurricane, accompanied by the undead from the arena under Chun Jankitzd''s command.


    "Chun! The mud man disappeared!" she roared.


    And in the next moment, amidst the melee of "werewolves" and undead, the earth trembled!

 Chapter 10 Pollution

    Here is the translation:


    ---


    The vigorous vines pierced the earth, twisting in search of prey. Unconscious, they swayed through the air like the tendrils of some eldritch entity reaching into reality. Soon, they found their target.


    Pupupu! The writhing vines struck like lightning, impaling corpses, humans, and the "werewolf" Flan Ruveo one after another, stringing together a macabre display. Then, like fireworks, the iron-black tendrils burst forth from within, piercing through bodies, blooming like flowers of death upon the scattered remains.


    "Oh no! It''s the Sequence Extraordinary!" "Werewolf" Flan Ruveo agilely dodged the vine''s thrusts, swiftly scanning the area. There was no sign of Kuin''s shadow anywhere, not even from underground. "Damn..."


    Clad in leather armor, Flan quickly made a decision. Black claws extended from her hands as she rushed towards Bishop Utralovsky, who was currently grappling with a "Specter."


    At that moment, the severely injured Specter, Chun Jan Rakitzd, seized the opportunity and emitted a silent shriek!


    Utralovsky, as if struck in the head, began bleeding profusely from his mouth and nose, his steps faltering. Seizing the chance, Flan lunged forward, her hands aiming straight for the priest''s head!


    At that moment, a burst of green light emerged from underground, enveloping the priest. In an instant, many of his grievous wounds disappeared, and the bleeding from his mouth and nose ceased. Under Kuin''s treatment, aside from some spiritual damage, the priest returned to his prime state!


    Gripping his massive sword steadily, he quickly turned around and swung it towards Flan''s head, catching her off guard!


    "Damn it! I''ll kill your mother!" As the perspective uncontrollably shifted, these words became Flan Ruveo''s final thoughts.


    A grim and desperate female head fell to the ground, its body convulsing before life dissipated¡ªa killing blow to Flan Ruveo!


    Now, within the blood-soaked fortress, only the "Specter" and the two bishops remained in a standoff. The roles of "Hunter" and "Prey" had switched!


    The situation was dire... Chun Jan Rakitzd quickly contemplated a plan. The priest, injured as he was, wasn''t his match, but he disgustingly had a teammate capable of healing. Another enemy, currently displaying formidable earth magic, posed a lesser threat, but he likely had unknown trump cards. Taking a deep breath, Chun lowered himself, transforming into the ethereal "Specter," and then...


    Flee! He changed direction, escaping at the speed of a steam locomotive!


    However, at the fortress gate, a deep, dark barrier suddenly appeared, rising from the ground and enclosing the entire fortress! He couldn''t evade it and crashed into it.


    "Sorry, but letting you escape like this would be unfair to the people of the Southern Continent."


    Cloaked, Kuin slowly emerged from the ground, calmly unwinding a white cloth from his staff, revealing a weathered bronze handle. With a gentle flick of his staff, swish! A long, cold crescent blade emerged, emitting a chilling aura. Its deep black hue made Chun feel as though he were staring into an abyss.


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    Heh heh heh... Kuin felt the scythe in his hand spreading a wild, uncontrollable aura, infecting himself. The illusory "Specter" before him became enticing, a desire to tear it apart surged within him.


    "Priest, let''s take him down!" Kuin growled lowly, bloodlust filling his eyes, and with a stomp, he vanished into the ground, charging forward. The barrier couldn''t hold for long; they couldn''t let a Sequence Five "Specter" escape!


    "Charge!" The priest''s sword glinted with the dawn''s light, enhancing its lethality against the Specter!


    The Specter''s face turned as cold as ice. He swiftly retrieved a pair of crimson objects from his pocket¡ªa pair of blood-stained, dried-up black eyeballs, seemingly containing intense resentment and malice! Remnants of the Sequence Five "Apostle of Desire"!


    After the Specter revealed the eyeballs, a storm of desire stirred within everyone present.


    Chun''s vision darkened. Caught between the scythe and the eyeballs, his pupils lost all clarity. "Do you want to dance too? Hahaha!" Bursting from the ground behind the Specter, he charged at Chun Jan Rakitzd with the chilling scythe, dragging the sensation of cold, deathly silence.


    Chun Jan Rakitzd took a deep breath, activating the Sequence Eight "Madman" ability, willingly abandoning his sanity for a comprehensive and powerful boost!


    The priest grunted, kneeling halfway. The bloodlust stirred by the eyeballs made it hard for him to resist sinking into past madness. He struggled with the madness in his mind, temporarily losing his combat effectiveness.


    A pair of eyeballs plunged all three present into the abyss!


    Kuin and the Specter clashed. Each of the Specter''s attacks left severe wounds on Kuin, but he swiftly healed, only the "Specter''s Wail" causing him true harm, inflicting mental anguish.


    However, Kuin continued to swing his scythe relentlessly, each deep cut on Chun Jan Rakitzd''s spectral form leaving exaggerated and difficult-to-heal wounds, increasing his loss of control.


    Forced to do so, the Specter materialized, engaging Kuin in physical combat.


    The power brought by the Sequence Six "Specter" was terrifying, but the damage from the scythe was mitigated by the sturdy body. Kuin''s spiritual expenditure, however, was draining him step by step, and the rapid fluctuations left him momentarily regaining some clarity.


    He changed his attack strategy, and as he attacked, the plants sprouting from the ground entangled the Specter like a spider capturing prey, gradually immobilizing him.


    Chun Jan Rakitzd, devoid of reason, roared in an attempt to break free. Pustules the size of soybeans surfaced all over his body, bursting open with each movement. He was teetering on the edge of losing control, but the layers of vines delayed him!


    "Screw it!"


    Seeing the situation, Kuin unhesitatingly approached, wildly swinging the scythe, a deafening silence echoing as it sliced through Chun Jan Rakitzd''s bulging veins, bringing his head down!


    The materialized Specter''s body collapsed heavily, its flesh and blood struggling restlessly, as if the lingering contamination of its uncontrolled state hadn''t dissipated.


    Silently burning within the deep, dark barrier, the corpses of all the undead, humans, "werewolves," and Specters slowly dissipated, their indulgent souls silently dispersing, severing the possibility of spawning vengeful spirits.


    Kuin slowly regained his sanity. With the death of the Specter, the dissemination of desire ceased without the supply of spirituality. The nearby priest struggled to shake off past illusions, slowly straightening his body.


    The silently burning, pitch-black flames reflected in Kuin''s emerald-like pupils. He sighed, plucking a strand of hair from his lush green locks and tossing it to the ground.


    Infinitely tall cedars rise from the ground, cracking the wall, holding up the sky, and covering up the sins that were once indulged under the tree roots.


    As the cold wind howled, there were two fruits on the tree swaying in the wind. One was an illusory and deep color, and the other was dark as if mixed with crimson moonlight.


    Quinn lowered his head to the land in front of him, clasped his hands and said:


    "Mother''s embrace is the gentlest hometown in the world. I hope you can wash away the sins of your soul in the kingdom of the Mother Goddess..."


    Then, he picked off the two fruits, turned to Bishop Utravsky and said cheerfully:


    "The mission is successful! Let''s hurry up and see what loot we have! Otherwise, we might attract the attention of their angels later."


    "Huh? Why are you staring at me?"


    "...It''s okay, hurry up and report to the headquarters..."


    Bishop Utravsky took a deep look at Quinn''s green eyes.


    Those eyes had no warmth at all, they were cold and crazy.

 Chapter 11 Mother

    Aboard the ship heading toward Bikini Beach


    "Hehe, despite some hiccups, this mission was a big success!"


    From the Rose School base, they obtained the potion formulas from Sequence 9 to Sequence 4 of the "Aberrant" pathway, along with a large quantity of extraordinary materials. Among them, the extraordinary characteristics and mystical items of the "Wraith" were given to Quinn, who planned to use them as alchemical materials after advancing to Sequence 4 "Alchemist". The remaining items, however, did not interest him much.


    "This thing is just a bit troublesome..."


    Quinn raised his hand and touched his eye socket. In the dark, cramped double cabin, no one could see the madness twisting within his pupils.


    His Sequence 8 "Physician" ability allowed him to stitch souls, so he could clearly feel his spirituality being inevitably polluted by the Sealed Artifact "Cradle" and the mystical eye item of the Wraith Jun Jankowitz.


    Fortunately, the effects of this pollution were not severe. If he could keep his emotions stable and not overly exhaust his spirituality, he could hold out until they returned to Bikini Beach to seek the Goddess''s help.


    They spent a quarter of a day traveling from the Rose School base to the ship, during which Quinn continuously suppressed the rampant desires within him. He vaguely felt a call from the distant stars, a call that felt kind and instinctively made him want to merge with its source.


    At this moment, he thought of Father Utolavski, who was lying silently on the upper bunk, and a repressed smile appeared on his face.


    "Poke~"


    Sitting on the upper bunk, the burly Father Utolavski, who seemed about to crush the bed under his weight, was praying with his head bowed. Suddenly, he felt something sneak through the gap between the bedboards and poke his butt, then quickly retract.


    He immediately understood who was playing tricks and helplessly said in a low voice:


    "Bishop Quinn, please don''t mess around."


    "Hehehe..."


    "Messing around?"


    Suddenly, Quinn''s voice came from the top of the cabin, making Father Utolavski jerk his head up.


    Half of Quinn''s face slowly appeared above him, with his features replaced by writhing ironwood, intertwined with remaining flesh. His mouth opened and closed, revealing a blood-red membrane flower in place of his tongue, blooming and closing in rhythm.


    Faces emerged from all directions¡ªfront, back, sides, below¡ªfilling the air with a nauseating mix of iron-blood scent and floral sweetness.


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    "I''ll take your flesh!"


    "What?!" Utolavski''s pupils shrank suddenly, unable to believe his eyes. A Sequence 5 "Druid" had silently turned into a monster.


    He opened his mouth, trying to utter "Dawn" quickly, but then heard Quinn''s hearty laughter.


    The terrifying faces dissipated into nothingness, and Father Utolavski seemed to understand something, his expression turning helpless.


    "Hahahaha... Sorry, to fight the madness, I have to make some jokes to divert my attention. Hehe (§Ù)-¡î"


    Why didn''t I need to do this when fighting my past persona? I feel like you just want to mess with me... Father Utolavski almost wanted to break Quinn''s legs to prevent him from doing more outrageous things.


    But considering the possibility of him being a disguised runaway, he didn''t dare to completely relax. He leaned down, seriously staring at Quinn, and asked slowly:


    "Bishop Quinn, do you still remember the Goddess''s sacred name?"


    "Sigh, what a hassle." Quinn sighed. How could he forget the Goddess''s sacred name? He fluently recited:


    "Goddess of Origin"


    "Mother of All"


    "Foul Hive Mother... huh?"


    Utolavski''s pupils instantly shrank to pinpoints. Without hesitation, he used his Sequence 6 "Knight of Dawn" ability, summoning a set of "Dawn Armor" onto himself. Grasping the solid "Sword of Dawn" in his hands, he swung it forward like a hurricane.


    At this moment, a terrifying aura erupted from Quinn''s body!


    The aura swept away everything, shattering Utolavski''s "Dawn Armor", dispersing his "Sword of Dawn", and sending him flying through several cabin walls. Despite his extraordinary physical endurance, he couldn''t withstand it and passed out.


    This was the aura of a deity.


    Quinn clearly felt that the unknown entity, using their connection, was trying to descend into this world through his body! He and the unknown entity seemed to originate from the same source!


    "He" gradually transformed, his spirituality turning dark from the aura, a giant female shadow emerging behind him!


    "I won''t... let you... succeed..."


    Using the connection with the unknown entity, Quinn mustered all his strength to maintain a shred of consciousness. He slowly pulled out a golden talisman hidden in his crotch and rasped, "Wuhu... take off!"


    His body, lifted by an unknown force, penetrated the cabin walls and shot toward the vast sea.


    At this moment, the deity''s aura temporarily stopped affecting the ship, halting the crazed growth of its wooden structure. The ship, covered in twisted, horrifying plants, floated like a rainforest on the sea, with the fate of its occupants unknown.


    "Return... to my embrace..."


    The deity''s words echoed from the distant stars, and a blurry shadow appeared before Quinn''s eyes¡ªan entity rooted in space, spewing endless dark power, scattering seeds of spirituality into the dead cosmos.


    Pop! Pop! Quinn forced two vines from his head, squeezing and crushing his own eyes! He didn''t hope this would resist the deity''s whispers, only that the pain would bring a moment of clarity.


    Pain, excruciating pain¡ªdespite the agony piercing his brain, he couldn''t shed a tear from his empty eye sockets.


    Fortunately, the soul-rending pain brought back a bit of his consciousness. The icy touch from the pitch-black world told him he was sinking into the ocean''s abyss.


    Through the deity''s whispers, some information seeped into his chaotic mind.


    His consciousness drifted among the ancient stars, about to merge with the unknown entity. In that moment, he understood its name¡ª


    Fallen Mother Goddess!


    As he was about to be assimilated, he realized why simply reciting the sacred name had summoned her: he was a part of her separated thousands of years ago!


    As he sank into the deep sea, he felt the familiar yet foreign power returning to his body, overwhelming sadness engulfing him as he lost his sense of self. Yet, not a tear could he shed.


    In his final moments before darkness consumed him, Quinn Fleury used his last strength to recite:


    "The Fool who does not belong to this era..."


    "The Yellow and Black King of Good Fortune..."


    "The Mysterious Ruler above the gray fog..."

 Chapter 12 Saved

    "Damn! Who''s praying in the middle of the night?!"


    Resting in the hotel, Klein was suddenly awakened by a faint, dreamlike prayer. He turned over and sat up, groggily complaining in his mind. He then reversed four steps and ascended above the gray fog.


    In the mysterious space, the grayish-white mist was flowing rapidly. The crimson star representing his compatriot, the "Queen," shone brightly, emitting waves of illusory light.


    The light formed a fantastical image: the "Queen''s" body was enveloped in complete darkness, a blackness deeper than night. Only his eyes emitted a faint green glow. Klein saw that the "Queen''s" original eyeballs had vanished, replaced by two bloodstained vines!


    It seemed like his compatriot was in danger... Klein didn''t hesitate and immediately reached out to touch the crimson star of the "Queen," pulling his spirit body above the gray fog.


    Hmm? At that moment, his spirituality suddenly rang alarm bells, warning him about the ascending spirit body of the "Queen." He then noticed countless cold, eerie vines growing from the void, firmly rooted in the "Queen''s" spirit body, pulling and preventing him from rising above the gray fog.


    Klein thought for a moment and quickly rummaged through the pile of miscellaneous items, finding the "Black Emperor" Blasphemy Card. He held it in his palm, using its high status to fully mobilize the grayish-white mist above the gray fog, condensing it into a pitch-black greatsword. He then slashed at the cold vines around the "Queen."


    Slash! Slash! It seemed as if sounds came from the infinite void. The severed vines wriggled unwillingly, waving but unable to touch the rising spirit body of Quinn.


    Klein exhaled lightly, about to show a relieved smile.


    "Mysterious... why..."


    Suddenly! A strange murmur echoed above the gray fog!


    The murmur came from the endless void, piercing through layers of gray fog. It was filled with anger, unwillingness, and confusion, along with immense power!


    In an instant, countless vines grew from the void. They pierced the majestic palace like a giant king''s court, disrupting the layers of fog above the gray fog. Klein''s body exploded in an instant, and each piece of flesh writhed, growing madly and expanding violently. Soon, a massive ball of flesh devoured every item in the mysterious space, every wisp of fog, occupying every inch of space above the gray fog.


    The entire space seemed to be destroyed by the unknown entity''s single murmur.


    After a long time, the grayish-white mist gradually spread again. Everything returned to its original appearance in silence, and the massive ball of flesh seemed to be erased from existence, slowly disappearing.


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    Klein''s body reappeared on the high-back chair, which silently repaired itself. He gasped for breath, finally confirming that the terrifying unknown entity had temporarily spared them.


    "I''m sorry, Grandma... I won''t do it again... Next time, I''ll definitely recite your sacred name correctly..."


    Quinn''s consciousness was still scattered, mumbling as if talking in his sleep.


    Seeing Quinn in this state, Klein couldn''t help but feel a surge of anger. What did you do to attract the attention of such a terrifying existence? Don''t you know that you shouldn''t mess with things you don''t understand! He mentally cursed Quinn''s carelessness, wishing he could beat him up while he was still unconscious.


    The terrifying attack from the unknown entity lingered in his mind. Neither facing the Eternal Blazing Sun nor the True Creator had ever made Klein feel such a dreadful presence. This overwhelming power seemed to surpass even gods, but Klein couldn''t fathom what existed beyond gods.


    He exhaled slowly, leaning diagonally on the high-back chair, resting his hand on his cheek, and squinted his eyes, quietly waiting for Quinn to wake up.


    After a long time, Quinn''s consciousness finally broke free from the chaos. He suddenly opened his eyes, looking around in confusion, his bewildered expression like a student caught sleeping in class by the principal.


    Then he saw the "Fool" sitting on the ornate high-back chair, hesitated for a moment, and asked in confusion:


    "Mr. Fool, are you perhaps the god who oversees the underworld?"


    What kind of nonsense is that... Klein''s mouth twitched slightly. He sighed inwardly at Quinn''s lack of both intelligence and tact, and then said slowly:


    "No, this is not the underworld, and I am not that ''Death.'' You called my name, so you came here."


    "Um..." Quinn pondered for a moment, then suddenly recalled what had happened before.


    The unknown entity called the "Fallen Mother Goddess" had taken advantage of his dual pollution state, forcing him to unconsciously recite her sacred name. This established a connection, attempting to descend into this world through him! Fortunately, he had recited the "Fool''s" name, receiving his protection and escaping the fate of becoming a vessel for godly descent.


    With this realization, he sincerely said, "Praise you, Mr. Fool!"


    "Never mind, if you hear her murmurs again, recite my name." After all, that terrifying existence seemed to have temporarily given up trying to possess Quinn''s body due to the mysterious space, and it was uncertain when she might try again.


    "Okay!" Mr. Fool is such a good person! Quinn was moved to tears in his heart.


    When he was nearly fused with the Fallen Mother Goddess, countless pieces of knowledge had flooded into his mind. He understood how terrifying the Fallen Mother Goddess was. She was originally one of the "Three Pillars" that stood above the old ones. Later, part of her authority was lost, creating the current Earth Mother he believed in.


    However, even now, the Fallen Mother Goddess was equivalent to an "Old One," a terrifying existence above true gods. And Mr. Fool was willing to protect him from her grasp; anyone would know how great a favor that was.


    "Mr. Fool, how can I repay you?" Quinn had no intention of accepting this favor for free. As the saying goes, "Nothing is more expensive than free."


    Klein nodded slightly, making it seem like a trivial matter, and said to Quinn:


    "If you wish to repay me, I am collecting Emperor Roselle''s diaries."


    Then he ended Quinn''s presence above the gray fog. The earlier turmoil had greatly exhausted his spirit, and now he just wanted to return to his bed and sleep for a whole day.


    Klein simulated the feeling of his spirit body falling and returned to the real world.


    On the other side, deep under the sea, Quinn woke up.

 Chapter 13 Only the Mother Goddess is good in the world

    "Wowga!"


    Under the crimson moonlight on the beach, a drenched figure was washed ashore by the waves. His eyes were hollow, and he wore a white bishop''s robe stained with diluted blood from the sea, riddled with holes that made him look as if he had survived a terrifying shipwreck.


    Suddenly, this corpse-like figure sat up abruptly and exclaimed loudly:


    "Damn, I almost turned into pickles! Ptooey, ptooey!"


    When Quinn woke up, he found himself surrounded by darkness, unable to see his hand in front of his face, and feeling an icy chill that made him realize he was submerged in the ocean, deep within it.


    Fortunately, as a Sequence Five "Druid," he could draw sustenance from nature, otherwise, he would have drowned when pulled into the grey mist.


    After healing the injuries to his body and eyes, he used his extraordinary ability to transform into a fish and swam to the surface. However, the amulet given to him by Old Bob seemed to have transported him to an unknown location, with nothing but ocean in every direction. So, he reverted to human form and let the waves carry him wherever they would.


    Luckily, the Earth Mother did not seem to have abandoned him. After being tossed by the waves all night, Quinn was washed ashore. Though far from Bikini Beach, he had at least made landfall.


    After spitting out the salty seawater from his mouth, he shook his waterlogged head. Now he finally had time to think about what had happened.


    He sat down on the sandy beach, his arms resting on his legs, hands holding his head as he sorted through the additional knowledge about the Fallen Mother Goddess that had entered his mind:


    The potion formulas from Sequence Nine to Sequence Zero for the "Earth" and "Moon" pathways... Wow, a full set for becoming a god, but both sequences already have holders...


    The anatomical structures and living habits of almost all creatures, including extraordinary beings. Haha, can I now say "nobody understands biology better than I do"? Hunting extraordinary creatures would be easy, knowing their weaknesses at a glance, like having built-in strategies!


    Countless potion recipes, such as those for restoring spirituality and healing the body, detoxifying and curing diseases¡ªlike the blue and red potions in games. There are even potions to cure or induce madness, and some with bizarre effects like "Strength Potion," "Transformation Potion," "Gender Swap Potion," and so on. These potions seem effective up to the level of true gods, as miraculous as the potions themselves...


    Alchemy knowledge... Hmm, most of it seems like death-wish experiments, either involving oneself or others in the cauldron. But there are practical parts too, like the method for creating the Philosopher''s Stone.


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    Now I can use any material to create magical puppets, but I need to advance to Sequence Four "Ancient Alchemist" to control them... But, well...


    Quinn stretched out a hand, fingers splayed, and countless cold, sinister vines with intricate ancient patterns emerged from the sea before him. They intertwined with sturdy wooden structures, forming a colossal humanoid figure over a hundred meters tall.


    Barefoot, he walked into the icy seawater, his hand brushing over the cold, intricate patterns etched into the giant''s body. Ever since the Fallen Mother Goddess invaded his spirit, the plants he conjured had taken on this eerie appearance. Tiny points of light emerged from his hand, merging into the giant.


    Gradually, a greenish glow lit up in the single eye socket of the vine-woven giant. Its knees and elbows formed joints, allowing it to move freely. With a series of creaks and groans, the giant came to life!


    This was the greatest gain from Quinn''s forced descent. Using his connection with the Fallen Mother Goddess, he had seized the essence she possessed, a part of the "mother nest" above the starry sky! This allowed him to animate inanimate objects and command them!


    If failure didn''t mean death, I''d love for the Fallen Mother Goddess to "visit" a few more times, haha.


    Quinn thought triumphantly.


    The green glow in the giant''s eye socket seemed to gaze at Quinn. Then, it knelt on one leg, extending a massive hand. Quinn leapt onto its fingertip. The giant stood, placing Quinn on its head, and began striding into the vast ocean, heading towards an unknown direction.


    Right... I don''t know the way... Standing atop the giant''s broad head, Quinn conjured a wooden platform and placed three wooden candles on it. He arranged stalks of wheat and other plants blessed by the Earth Mother in their respective places. He intended to use ritual magic to seek the Earth Mother''s guidance.


    After crafting the ritual items, including essential oils, he took a small wooden knife, imbuing its tip with spirituality, creating a suitable space for prayer. Then, he chanted softly:


    "I seek the power of the Earth;"


    "I seek the power of Nature;"


    "I seek the Mother Goddess''s blessing;"


    "Guide me to the direction of Bikini Beach..."


    The "Sowers" and "Pharmacists" of the Earth Mother Goddess''s church often struggled to receive accurate divine revelations, influenced by the Fallen Mother Goddess. Only the "Divine Favor" of other pathways could receive correct guidance, but Quinn had no other choice now.


    Soon, a sense of direction emerged in Quinn''s mind, guiding him. He patted the giant below him, prompting it to walk in the indicated direction.


    Days passed with little change in the vast ocean, and Quinn gradually lost track of time.


    After many days and nights, with the sun rising and setting, Quinn built a house atop the vine giant''s head during its journey. In his boredom, he even draped the giant in a layer of clothing made from conjured cotton.


    Dressed in a white suit and trousers, with a bow tie and holding a top hat, the giant headed north across the sea. Finally, from atop the hundred-meter-tall giant, Quinn spotted land!


    "Stop here! Any further and we''ll be seen!"


    Quinn crouched and patted the giant''s head. The vine giant slowly knelt, and Quinn transformed into a seagull with white feathers tinged with green, taking flight.


    After flying a short distance, he remembered something and returned, poking half his body out from the clouds to wave a wing in thanks.


    "Thank you! Until we meet again!"


    The iron-black vine giant paused, raised the wooden carved top hat Quinn had made, placed it over its chest in a salute, then donned the hat and walked back towards the endless ocean.


    Soon after, Quinn, back in human form, appeared at the harbor, staring blankly at the bustling crowds and unfamiliar scene of ships coming and going, muttering to himself:


    "Where am I..."


    "I will never use ritual magic to seek the Mother Goddess''s help again..."

 Chapter 14: Banshee Harbor

    "Excuse me, miss, may I take a moment of your ti¡ª"


    "Take a moment of my ass! Get lost!"


    After once again fending off a clueless lecher, Quinn felt like he was about to snap, in the most literal sense.


    Sealed artifacts, magical items, ancient entities¡­ One event after another had assaulted him, each bringing its own wave of corruption, which he had somehow endured. But one occurrence finally broke his resolve.


    The Fallen Mother Goddess, once one of the three pillars and ruler of all feminine forces, stood at the pinnacle of Outer Gods even after losing her pillar strength. Being invaded by such an existence was no trivial matter. Although Quinn had gained a wealth of precious knowledge, it had come with significant side effects.


    During his uncertain days adrift at sea, he felt his spirit marred with countless scars. The Fallen Mother Goddess had left numerous marks on him, leading Quinn to understand that if he dared to utter her name again, not even the Fool by his side could save him.


    He had tried tearing away the corrupted parts of his spirit, even though this would weaken him and induce temporary madness. However, the high rank of the Fallen Mother Goddess made the corruption cling like a stubborn leech, impossible to shake off.


    Quinn naively thought things couldn''t get worse, but the mysterious world had no bottom line. He had forgotten about the physical changes.


    When one strange man after another approached him, even attempting to drag him away, he realized something was wrong. If his charm transcended gender boundaries, he wouldn''t have been single for over twenty years.


    He irritably ruffled his messy green hair. Upon checking urgently, he found that the feminine force of the Fallen Mother Goddess had altered his body to some extent.


    But due to limited time and distance, and because her main attacks targeted his spirit, he was lucky enough to only suffer feminization of his appearance while preserving his prized manhood.


    Could things get any worse¡­? I just came out to crush a cult¡­ Quinn wandered aimlessly through the unfamiliar town, not caring how conspicuous he looked in his tattered bishop''s robe. Corruption still ravaged his spirit.


    Too many things had happened. He didn''t want to think about ancient entities or pillars. "Bring on the corruption! I can''t deal with you anymore!" he thought in despair. "If I lose control, I''ll use my power to bury myself in the earth, giving official Beyonders enough time to arrive."


    Just then, a rich aroma wafted into Quinn''s nose from the harbor. It smelled like grilled fish¡­ so delicious! Quinn felt his mouth watering uncontrollably.


    Come to think of it, I¡¯m out of money¡­


    His eyes lit up with an idea. He pulled out a wooden comb he had secretly conjured, quickly tidying his seaweed-like hair. Then he took out a handful of leaves, rubbing them on his face to reveal the delicate features altered by the feminine force. He headed towards an alleyway where he heard a man''s lecherous laughter.


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    Not long after.


    Quinn walked out of the alley, leaving a few unconscious men behind him, flipping a few bloodstained copper coins in his hand. From the thugs, he learned that he was on Banshee Island, far from Bikini Beach.


    A nearby tree told him it was nearing evening, the air becoming more humid, and Banshee Harbor was gradually blanketed in thick fog.


    Hmm? Something¡¯s not right. Quinn noticed the sudden drop in foot traffic. Though it was the peak time for fishermen returning and workers getting off, the residents of Banshee Harbor had all retreated home, tightly shutting their doors.


    A bit creepy¡­ Quinn felt increasingly uneasy. The houses on both sides of the road had all closed their doors and drawn their curtains, as if avoiding something.


    From street corners, alleys, and behind covered windows, it seemed like watchful eyes were constantly on him, stirring his spiritual senses.


    Suddenly, a floating black shadow shot out from an alley, aiming straight for the back of Quinn¡¯s head!


    Thud! Without turning, Quinn cautiously conjured a slender wooden spike, thrusting it backward and piercing the shadow. Countless branches erupted, tearing the shadow apart.


    He turned to see the original form of the shadow¡ªa desiccated human head!


    Staring wordlessly at the remains, he raised a hand to cover his face. Nights here are as "lively" as days¡­ Quinn thought wearily.


    With the harbor growing more complicated, Quinn couldn¡¯t predict what would happen next, but based on his experience, he knew he needed to find shelter to better assess the situation.


    The houses along the street were all "occupied," unlikely to welcome a stranger. To find a place to stay, his only option was¡­ an inn!


    Quinn quickly devised a plan and, without hesitation, ran towards the area near the harbor, his tired eyes gleaming with a hint of madness.


    As the sea breeze flowed gently, thick fog enveloped Banshee Harbor like the grasp of a monstrous hand. Quinn sprinted along the street, not using his ability to burrow underground.


    He stopped in front of a restaurant, "Green Lemon Restaurant," he read aloud from the sign. The lights inside were still on, suggesting it was open. Harbor-side restaurants often offered lodging.


    Just as he was about to push the door open, he heard an argument inside.


    "No, we must go back!" a young girl shouted.


    "If there''s a problem, staying here will be more dangerous. The ship has cannons and armed sailors," a deep male voice responded, tinged with uncertain trembling.


    Those wanting to stay seemed persuaded, and Quinn saw a family pushing the door open, accompanied by three burly men who looked like bodyguards.


    "Ah!" The girl, holding her brother¡¯s hand, screamed in terror upon seeing the scene outside the restaurant.


    Before her stood a person whose delicate appearance made it hard to determine his gender. He wore a tattered bishop''s robe, stained with sticky blood. His eyes glowed green in the night like a wild beast¡¯s, filled with murky madness.


    Most terrifying was his long, verdant hair, swaying as if alive, rooted in the brick road, pulsing as if it had a life of its own, like a tree demon from legends.


    "Who are you?!"


    The three bodyguards, seeing the figure clearly, swiftly drew their pistols, staring at him in fear. They felt today¡¯s series of events were shattering their worldview.


    "I¡¯m just passing through."


    Quinn glanced at them, puzzled by their extreme reaction. As he was about to enter, another shriveled head flew towards them from the brick road outside the restaurant.


    Quinn reflexively flung out a wooden spike, piercing the head and reducing it to pieces.


    Immediately, a holy beam of light descended, enveloping the remains and making them disappear. This light didn¡¯t come from anyone present.


    Step, step, step. Two black silhouettes emerged from the thick fog. Quinn turned, squinting to see the leading figure clearly.


    Then, he exclaimed in surprise:


    "Gehrman Sparrow?"

 Chapter 15: Traveling Together

    This was the adventurer they had encountered at Bikini Beach before, looking somewhat gloomy. Quinn suddenly felt a sense of familiarity with this traveler from afar.


    "You are... Bishop Quinn Fry?" Klein asked, peering through the thick fog, trying to make out the newcomer''s face. Upon closer inspection, he noticed Quinn''s resemblance to the "Queen," albeit appearing even more... delicate.


    Klein observed Quinn and couldn''t help but be amazed. During their previous tarot meetings, Quinn had only mentioned being lost at sea, unable to pinpoint his location. Through the dense fog, Klein only knew that the intrusion of the Fallen Goddess had been eliminated, unaware of Quinn''s other contaminations.


    Quinn''s eyes seemed to display a hint of madness, and his body showed slight mutations... he was on the brink of losing control! Klein kept his expression neutral, not wanting to agitate Quinn. He spoke softly, "You seem to be in quite a state."


    "Huh?" Quinn first seemed puzzled, then waved it off nonchalantly, "It''s nothing, I can handle it!"


    He opened his hand, and various herbs magically sprouted from his palm. Then, with a tight grip, he mashed the concoction and stuffed it into his mouth.


    Chewing nonchalantly, he explained, "Although not as effective as potions made from extraordinary materials, these herbs can at least temporarily drown out the noise in my head."


    He swallowed the concoction, flashing an innocent smile. He then inquired, "Are you here to rest too?"


    Klein, somewhat amused, watched Quinn with amusement as he marveled at his audacity.


    Previously, during their tarot sessions, Quinn had simply mentioned being lost at sea. But since he didn''t even know his own location, there wasn''t much anyone could do to help.


    Klein agreed without hesitation, knowing that with the recent incidents, safety lay in numbers. Moreover, from their first encounter, he sensed that this adventurer was not to be trifled with.


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    "Of course," Klein agreed, and behind him, the man couldn''t help but whisper, "Are you serious? I feel like this guy is much more dangerous than anything outside!"


    "Dannitz, he''s my friend," Klein replied calmly but earnestly. His indifferent gaze swept over Dannitz, who shivered and fell silent, conceding.


    Quinn''s gaze wandered between the two as he asked, "So, have you found the person you''re looking for?" He glanced at the family with two children and three bodyguards nearby.


    "We have," Klein nodded. Turning to the family, he said, "There have been some changes in Banshee Port. Are you staying here or coming back with us?"


    The well-dressed man leading the family held his wife''s hand and replied politely, "All our belongings are on board. We''ll come with you."


    "Thank you for your help," they said, pulling their children along.


    "It''s a bit dangerous heading to the port. Let me deal with it," Quinn smiled, snapping his fingers. Dozens of wooden puppets emerged, each towering three meters high, casting shadows on the astonished crowd.


    With a flick of his wrist, Quinn sent pinpoints of starlight into the puppets, animating them. Without needing Quinn''s command, the colossal puppets surged into the eerie fog of Banshee Port.


    With the majority of the monsters cleared by Quinn''s puppets, the road ahead seemed safer. "Shall we?" Quinn asked, dusting off his hands with a smug expression.


    Klein couldn''t help but chuckle at Quinn''s exaggerated summoning. Each puppet''s strength rivaled that of a Sequence 7 "Warrior" extraordinary! Klein listened to the distant rumbling and marveled silently.


    Klein led the way with a lantern, checking the headcount.


    More than fifteen people... In case of an emergency, they might lose focus... Luckily, the "Queen''s" puppets took care of most of the monsters. Indeed, a hometown friend is reliable!


    As they continued, the towering, silent puppets provided a sense of security to both adults and children alike.


    Suddenly, the thick fog ahead condensed slightly, and orange light pierced through. A humanoid figure stumbled towards them.


    A man in a blue bishop''s robe staggered towards them, his face pale and his footsteps erratic.


    At the sight of him, Captain Ireland exclaimed, "Bishop Miller!"


    The man raised his head, and in his light brown eyes, a reddish glow appeared.


    "Wait!" Quinn called out to Ireland, eyeing the figure before them with caution. The ground beneath Quinn''s feet began to churn, and his flowing hair writhed uneasily.


    "What are you doing?" Ireland was about to assist Bishop Miller when Klein drew a coin and muttered softly,


    "He harbors ill intentions."


    Ding!


    The coin flipped and landed back in Klein''s palm, head up.


    Confirmation!


    Miller, upon seeing this scene, had a glint of crimson in his otherwise pale eyes.

 Chapter 16: Are You Ready, Children?

    Woo!


    A strong wind suddenly swept through Banshee Port under the cover of night. Trees along the streets were broken, and the thick fog was churned up.


    Ordinary people like Ireland were blown away by the wind, falling to different locations. Only a few heavier individuals stumbled a few steps.


    Tiny Dorna''s body was easily lifted by the fierce wind, about to crash heavily onto the ground. With fearful anticipation, she closed her eyes.


    Then, Dorna, falling from the sky, suddenly landed on a soft surface, unharmed. Nervously, she opened her eyes a crack and saw beneath her a nest-like tangle of dark vines.


    Klein and Dannitz, unable to withstand the force of the wind, were blown backward like kites but managed to maintain their balance.


    Quinn stood firm in the wind. His flowing hair, rooted in the ground, acted as an anchor, keeping him steady. He poised himself, with slender wooden spikes emerging from both hands, ready to strike when the wind subsided.


    After blowing for a while, the wind weakened. At this moment, six headless figures emerged from the fog on either side of Bishop Miller! Their wounds oozed blood, resembling terrifying beasts as they charged toward him.


    Trouble... Dannitz nervously contemplated a strategy. Then, a brass light flashed before his eyes.


    He saw Germain Sparrow tossing a simple brass whistle, causing the headless figures to change targets and clamor for the whistle!


    A perfect opportunity! Dannitz lowered his body, his face flushed, as a blazing white flame spear gradually formed in his hand. He hurled it fiercely, destroying one of the headless figures.


    Then, he saw Quinn, who was dodging wind blades and hurling a wooden spike toward the clustered headless figures.


    The spike pierced the chests of two monsters and suddenly blossomed above the brass whistle!


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    Countless sharp, black branches sprouted from the center, weaving among the six headless figures. They stitched flesh, tangled with each other, and sewed the six headless figures into a bloody ball, flesh for skin and branches for thread!


    Then, sounds of giants falling came from various parts of Banshee Port. Quinn released his control over the hunting giant, leaving only a few guards for the team.


    The land in front of him wriggled slowly. Six vine giants, each three meters tall, stood up, forming an iron-black wall, pressing toward Bishop Miller.


    "Hehehe..." Quinn chuckled repressively, a wooden scythe growing in his hand.


    "Let''s use this to chop off your head!"


    Behind him, Klein followed closely. His left glove began to squirm, emitting golden dragon scales.


    "Psychological Doctor," "Madness!"


    Bishop Miller, who was about to unleash a flurry of wind blades, suddenly froze. His eyes blinked, then turned completely mad. It seemed that slimy tentacles were about to emerge from under his bishop''s robe.


    "RUA!" Seizing the opportunity, Quinn lunged forward, instantly decapitating Bishop Miller!


    Headless, Miller was somewhat disoriented, but his body continued to move, countless slimy tentacles still poised to attack!


    Quinn chuckled and stepped back.


    Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Six hammer-like fists pounded mercilessly, smashing Miller''s restless body into bloody debris.


    The out-of-control bishop was easily dealt with by the three of them.


    Such terrifying strength... Even Captain Ireland would find it difficult to escape from these two... Dannitz looked at the flesh ball to his left and the now-Miller sauce to his right, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead.


    Suddenly, he saw Germain Sparrow wearing a half-high silk hat and Quinn Fry in a blood-stained bishop''s robe, both looking in his direction.


    "W-what''s going on?" Dannitz shivered, asking nervously.


    He felt as if he were facing two deep and mad seas, one represented by Germain Sparrow''s madness, akin to an undercurrent, and the other by Quinn Fry''s madness, akin to a volcanic eruption, making his scalp tingle.


    Quinn made a scissor gesture cheerfully, while Germain picked up his hat, pocketed the extraordinary characteristics extracted from Miller, and said, "I''m hungry."


    "You''re hungry? Why are you looking at me? You''re making me nervous!" Dannitz roared in his mind, forcing a embarrassed smile on his face.


    Germain nodded, saying, "Let''s go back to the ship."


    There might be more unknown forces behind the Banshee Port incident. They had only encountered some surface-level dangers, so the priority was to leave as soon as possible, leaving the rest to official extraordinary individuals.


    Ireland raised his hand and said, "I want to send a telegram to the church to report the situation here." He paused and added, "Don''t worry, it won''t affect your messages."


    "We''ll pass by anyway," Germain nodded. Quinn added, "Great, I''ll go with you. I have a telegram I want to send out too."


    It''s been so long since I reported in to Snow and them. I hope they didn

 Chapter 17 Cant Take It Anymore

    "Are you ready, kids?"


    "Yes, Captain!"


    "Louder now~"


    "Yes, Captain!!"


    "Woo¡ª"


    "Stop the racket!" Captain Aelan chided with a laugh, leaning against the railing as Quain struggled to keep the noisy kids in line, robbing him of the peace he sought after escaping danger.


    "Oh, by the way, since you two are here." Captain Aelan reached into his coat pocket and pulled out two small black wooden boxes, handing one to Gelman and one to Quain. "Merfolk bladders. Useful for making extraordinary items at sea."


    "Oh, you''re too kind, mate." Quain quipped, swiftly pocketing the box into his tattered bishop''s robe. Though rich himself, Quain cherished sentimental gifts like these, seeing them as priceless treasures.


    Gelman glanced at the box for a moment before saying, "I didn''t come to save you for a reward."


    "Ha-ha-ha! You get it all, mate!" Quain interjected, adopting a knowing look. "This is beyond mere materialism, it''s all about those feelings, right? You''ve hit the jackpot." Gelman, meanwhile, seemed to have noticed something unusual in the box, dampening the value of the extraordinary materials.


    "Uncle Quain, where''d you hit the jackpot?" Tarna, leaning on the railing, lifted her head, gazing at Quain with curious innocence.


    "Heh-heh-heh..." Quain chuckled, ignoring her question.


    "Hahaha..." Though not understanding the joke, Dan nodded along with a grin.


    "..." Understanding Quain''s jest, Gelman looked at the box, feeling the precious extraordinary material had suddenly lost its luster.


    "Arse-iba, I''m knackered. If I don''t get some shut-eye, I''ll lose control." Quain stretched lazily, his long hair now still, and headed towards the cabin, leaving Gelman bemused.


    Suddenly, Gelman and Aelan felt the weariness wash over them. Gelman politely waved and took Dan with him to their room 312.


    Tarna, leading her brother, followed. She handed Gelman a stack of bills with varying denominations. "From my dad, mom, Uncle Krivis, and Uncle Dimodo''s family, 150 pounds!" Tarna smiled sweetly. "They said it''s not enough to express their gratitude, just some extra supplies... those things are expensive, right?"


    "Not bad." Quain pocketed the money, a gesture signaling Dan to open the door.


    Tarna and Dan sighed in relief, happy to have fulfilled their parents'' task. Then their curiosity got the better of them, and they asked with a mix of curiosity and fear, "Uncle Sparrow, what were those monsters last night? Are the ghost stories true? Is your ability to command sunlight and Quain''s ability to command wooden figures natural?"


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    Wait, I didn''t catch that... Quain took off the "Sun Badge" and carelessly tossed it onto the table without looking back.


    However, he didn''t notice that Dan''s expression seemed like he was trying to suppress laughter.


    He casually replied, "Those are extraordinary abilities, acquired through certain potions and rituals."


    "Most ghost stories have some basis in reality. The monsters last night were created through dark rituals."


    "For the rest, ask him." Quain gestured towards Dan.


    "How amazing!" Tarna and Dan sighed in awe together.


    Shortly after, Tarna asked, "Can we also become like you through rituals and potions?"


    Their eyes sparkled with immense hope.


    Suddenly, Tarna saw a fleeting hint of sadness in Uncle Sparrow''s eyes.


    In a somber tone, he said, "It''s not something to envy or look forward to."


    "Once you choose this path, you''ll be constantly accompanied by danger and madness."


    "You may defeat them a hundred times, a thousand times, but as long as you lose once, you''ll end up like that fallen bishop."


    As he spoke, he leaned on his cane, took off his coat, and rolled up his shirt sleeves.


    One of his arms had become withered and wrinkled, like that of a centenarian, while the other was transparent and colorless, allowing a direct view of veins, muscles, and tendons under the skin.


    At the same time, his face was covered with numerous pale-colored fleshy growths, causing Tarna and Dan to recoil in horror and bump into the door.


    With a smirk on his face, Quain with countless small fleshy growths maintained his upturned mouth corners. "See it clearly?"


    "This is madness."


    No... Tarna and Dan witnessed the scene before them, almost losing their minds as they stumbled backward and ran out.


    Seeing the retreating figures of the two children, Gelman Sparrow slowly rolled down his sleeves.


    Dan looked in the direction where the two children were leaving, and tutted, "Actually, you didn''t have to scare them like that. If the kids see you like this, they''ll have nightmares..."


    Huh? Quain wondered why Dan stopped speaking halfway through, turning his gaze to what was behind him.


    An unfamiliar voice, not belonging to Gelman or Dan, echoed behind him.


    "Hehehe... This is... madness!"


    A familiar face, covered in bloodstains and cracked with dark veins, filled Quain''s entire field of vision¡ªQuain''s face!


    What?! Quain had lost control? Quain''s pupils suddenly contracted, instinctively leaping backward and reaching for his gun holster under his arm.


    The tense atmosphere seemed to explode in an instant, with disbelief, sadness, and confusion raging through Quain''s mind.


    Suddenly, he seemed to realize something.


    If Quain had lost control, there should have been some signs. His aura had just been a bit unstable when he entered the cabin. How could he have turned into a monster in just a few minutes?


    And my "Clown" intuition didn''t work. Quain touched me and I didn''t notice, and Dan completely ignored him, which is almost impossible.


    So, the most likely outcome is...


    He suddenly turned his gaze to Dan, only to find him lying on the ground, laughing uncontrollably. Quain was also rolling on the ground, laughing.


    "Hahaha!" x2


    "Danny."


    "Ah, ah?" Dan''s emotionless voice seemed to chill Dan to the bone, instantly sobering him up.


    "Clean this up." A blood-stained cane was thrown over, and Dan obediently picked up the cane and went to the side.


    Quain turned his gaze back to Quain, who was still laughing lightly, and said with a hint of annoyance:


    "I almost shot you."


    "Hahaha! It''s fine! My teacher once told me, a full day''s work keeps the insanity away!"


    Quain slowly straightened up, laughing.


    Then your teacher must be Emperor Rosell... Quain lamented in his heart, feeling an urge to sigh and rub his forehead, but he forced himself to endure it for the sake of his character.


    "This is... madness!"


    "Hahaha!" x2


    The sound of suppressed laughter came from the closed door of the bathroom.


    "Shut up!"


    "Hahaha!!!" x2


    The laughter echoing in the room seemed to dispel some of the gloom hanging over them.

 Chapter 18 Beyond Material

    In the mysterious expanse, above the infinite grey mist.


    Quinn sat quietly in his seat, his face revealing a suppressed smile.


    It didn''t mean he was particularly happy; he was just trying hard to suppress his tendency to lose control.


    The calm life on the ship these past few days, combined with the self-restraint of the medication to suppress madness, had significantly improved the previously severe symptoms of flesh and blood going awry. But the mental contamination remained difficult to eradicate.


    In gratitude for Mr. "Fool''s" saving grace last time, he meticulously sorted through the Emperor Roselle''s diaries he had consciously collected over the decades.


    Above the mist, he reproduced the contents of the diary page by page on parchment, resulting in a thick volume, almost ready for binding. Clayne was ecstatic but due to time constraints, he didn''t keep everyone waiting for his reading.


    After "Justice" and "Magician" also submitted Emperor Roselle''s diaries, the eagerly anticipated free exchange session among the members commenced.


    "Hanged Man" Alger first directed his gaze towards "Empress" Quinn.


    "Mr. ''Empress,''" Alger said somewhat awkwardly, "the colossal statue''s core you wanted has yielded results."


    Facing Quinn of Sequence Five, he thought of the price the seller had proposed and said with some trepidation:


    "The seller is asking... twenty thousand pounds."


    Sigh... Regardless of their identity or wealth, members of the Tarot Society sighed at the exorbitant cost of high-level extraordinary materials.


    Twenty thousand pounds... "Magician" Fols gaped in astonishment. Such a vast sum... I might have to write dozens, if not hundreds, of novels surpassing "Stormy Manor" and collect several months'' worth of royalties just to amass enough. It''s too far out of reach for me... With that in mind, Fols closed his mouth.


    "That''s normal," Quinn explained hastily. "High-level extraordinary materials, although difficult to sell, often fetch a significant premium when encountering the right buyer."


    "I accept..."


    He didn''t refuse... Alger thought with relief tinged with surprise, thus avoiding the situation of offending two powerful extraordinaries. Through this transaction, he also assessed the level and approximate wealth of the "Empress."


    A truly remarkable individual. He was inquiring about the Philosopher''s Stone before... He''s probably stepping into the realm of demigods. Alger raised the "Empress" a little higher in his mind.


    Clayne sat at the head of the table, his eyebrows raised upon hearing this.


    Quinn seemed to be wealthier than he had imagined. With his and Miss "Justice''s" resources, they could easily revitalize the entire Tarot Society''s funds, providing the Society with another high-quality wool, much like a little sun. Heh heh.


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    Next came the trading between other members. Quinn hadn''t heard any item trades that particularly interested him, but he did sell quite a few things himself.


    For example, he pre-booked various alchemical formulas he had gleaned from the Fallen Mother Goddess to Mr. "Moon," among which were potion names even Emlyn hadn''t heard of. But with Mr. "Fool" as a witness, he wasn''t worried about any fraud.


    He also offered the stable supply of plant-based extraordinary materials he could provide, all products of his backyard garden.


    The members also discussed the events at Banci Port, terms like "King of Angels" and "Medici" mentioned by Mr. "Fool" greatly astonished them.


    Quinn, who had read Emperor Roselle''s diary, felt a sense of relief at hearing these familiar names, as if he had narrowly escaped a disaster.


    Only when Mr. "Fool" lightly tapped the table with his finger and everyone rose to pay their respects did this fruitful meeting of the Tarot Society come to an end.


    Quinn''s consciousness returned to his body as he sat in the guest room prepared by Captain Eirland, contemplating the path ahead.


    Dealing with the Fallen Mother Goddess and his situation, tantamount to an endless struggle. Either his body becomes the vessel for Her descent, or...


    Quinn closed his eyes, and when he reopened them, besides madness, there was also unwavering determination.


    I''ll kill Her!


    Of course, if others were to hear that an extraordinary, not even a demigod, wanted to confront a being surpassing a true god, they would probably burst into laughter right on the spot.


    But this was Quinn''s only choice.


    In the knowledge of the Fallen Mother Goddess, they mentioned that the Earth Mother Church and the Blood Ancestor Lily are the same entity. This means that the safe path Quinn sought for advancement has been sealed off.


    In Quinn''s view, the Earth Mother and himself should be on the same front, facing a common enemy.


    From his smoothly ascending life in the Earth Mother Church to becoming a bishop, it can be seen that She has some goodwill towards him.


    Otherwise, an extraordinary who ascended abnormally, not being immediately killed by the Earth Mother Church and having his absorbed extraordinary traits returned, but instead becoming a bishop of the church within a few years, was something only seen in mindless fantasy novels from his previous life.


    The most feasible method is... to leverage his relationship with the Fallen Mother Goddess, share the same roots, and with the help of an existence at the same level, replace Her and seize all Her authority and extraordinary traits!


    Due to the Law of Extraordinary Trait Aggregation, the Fallen Mother Goddess and Quinn will inevitably merge again, with only the question of which consciousness will dominate the body in the end.


    But, how can I obtain the help of an entity comparable to the former dominator? Quinn''s thoughts surged, his hair restlessly swaying.


    After a long time, he sighed and said to himself:


    "I can only take it step by step..."


    In the room next to Quinn''s, Clayne, sitting on a peachwood chair and reading, suddenly touched his nose.


    It sounds like someone''s talking about me? Hopefully not some real creator... Clayne wondered, while nearby, Danitz was packing their luggage; they were preparing to disembark.


    In the evening, the "White Agate" arrived at the capital of the Rossed Archipelago, the "City of Generosity," Bayam!


    Quinn put away his tattered bishop''s robe and changed into a simple black worker''s jacket and overalls. Carrying a suitcase empty of everything, he disembarked like an ordinary worker returning home.


    Suddenly, amidst the disembarking crowd, Quinn saw Gelman Sparrow standing alone, flowing with the surging crowd. He pushed through and tapped Gelman''s shoulder.


    "Huh? Why are you alone? Where''s your valet, Danitz?"


    "He''s gone."


    Gelman replied calmly, and Quinn found it incredibly unbelievable.


    He was certain that Gelman''s "valet" was Danitz, the "Flame" of the Starry Sea Pirates! With a bounty of three thousand pounds, Gelman let him go like this?


    After being shocked for a second, Quinn reacted.


    He wiped away nonexistent tears of emotion and said:


    "So, this is the emotion of transcending materialism, tut tut tut..."


    This remark made Gelman''s veins bulge, but he didn''t retort, simply saying:


    "He''ll come back."


    "Mm, mm!" Quinn nodded vigorously in agreement.

 Chapter 19 Quins Gift

    Quin and Klein walked side by side on the streets of Bayam. The sky was gloomy, and dark clouds were slowly gathering, threatening to rain soon.


    Quin''s suitcase was no longer empty. He had visited different banks earlier and withdrew twenty thousand pounds in cash, stuffing the suitcase full.


    Klein walked on Quin''s left side, making every effort to avoid glancing at Quin''s suitcase, staring straight ahead instead.


    They were about to find a place to stay. Quin needed a safe space to complete the transaction with "the Fool", and Klein, well, he was "the Fool".


    The salty sea breeze swept away the fallen leaves, gradually driving away the pedestrians on the street, enveloping the "Generous City" in a cold and desolate atmosphere.


    As they turned into an alley, a series of hurried and unstable footsteps sounded.


    Thump, thump, thump...


    A familiar but broken figure stumbled into their view.


    Quin carefully identified it and exclaimed in surprise, "Danniz!"


    Danniz''s consciousness was almost entirely enveloped in darkness, the wounds on his body constantly sending waves of excruciating pain. Suddenly, he heard a familiar voice.


    Struggling to raise his eyes, he saw Quin Fray and Germain Sparrow, both hiding faces of madness, appearing so familiar.


    Thump!


    Danniz fell backward, hands clutching his abdomen, exposing a gruesome wound, almost revealing his internal organs. He could barely think, but managed to utter a string of words:


    "Tell the captain, Old Lynn has been found! ''Steel'' Maivati, for, for that treasure!" Danniz grabbed Germain Sparrow''s clothes, pulling him closer, and said.


    "Treasure?"


    Quin''s curious face appeared from another corner of his vision.


    Danniz had no time to explain. Gasping for breath, a sorrowful smile appeared on his face:


    "Don''t mind me, I''m dying..."


    "Tell the captain, the money I saved has turned into, turned into real estate, in Bayam, Chestnut Avenue, numbers 12 to 16, the proof documents, the proof documents are hidden in, hidden in the basement wall of number 13, sell it for me, sell it, take the money to, to Nosie, the southern town of Inditis, give it to my parents, tell them, tell them, I''ve really made a fortune..."


    Danniz paused, struggling to speak:


    "Tell them, tell them I''ve become, a splendid, splendid adventurer.


    "And... say sorry..."


    His eyes suddenly moistened, as if recalling the rebellious boy he used to be.


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    Sorry, old man, mom, I couldn''t make it home... Danniz''s vision darkened, feeling his life was about to end.


    Suddenly, he saw Germain Sparrow reach out, pressing on his wound, then wiping it away. Quin followed suit, pressing where Germain had touched.


    Danniz''s grief was momentarily interrupted as the numbing pain in his chest and abdomen suddenly disappeared, and the intense pain in his left hand vanished.


    He stared blankly at Klein and Quin, Klein looking back at him. Quin, with amusement in his eyes, was munching on artificially grown melon seeds.


    "Why not, treat me first?" he asked blankly.


    Klein turned his head and glanced at the other side of the lobby, where no one was present, and calmly said:


    "After you''ve finished speaking.


    "It''s a matter of courtesy."


    Quin followed:


    "This is the basic respect for an ''excellent adventurer'', hahaha..."


    He had just finished speaking when he couldn''t help but burst into laughter, almost vomiting.


    Ah ah ah ah ah! Danniz roared in his heart, wishing he could burn his self from a few seconds ago. He rolled over and sat up, taking a glance at the smoking pier, feeling slightly relieved.


    "Let''s find a place to stay first." Germain spread out his hand and caught a raindrop.


    Danniz looked at his undamaged abdomen and arms in amazement, feeling much more secure, and nodded immediately:


    "Okay."


    "No wonder you''re an ''excellent adventurer'', your mental resilience is excellent."


    Quin glanced at Danniz, who had quickly recovered, and gave him a thumbs up.


    "Don''t mention what happened just now!"


    Danniz''s face flushed.


    "Hahaha!"


    "... "Klein, carrying luggage and a cane, walked ahead without speaking, with only one thought echoing in his mind:


    "Darn it, everyone''s richer than me..."


    ...


    The "Azure Wind" Inn, Germain and Quin each rented a room, leaving Danniz puzzled standing in the hallway.


    "The Fool from another time, the Yellow-Black King who controls good fortune, the mysterious master above the gray mist..."


    Quin recited as he sat on a chair, in front of him were ceremonial items arranged on the coffee table, with a suitcase containing twenty thousand pounds in the center, alongside the reward for "the Hanged Man" and a small gift.


    On the other side, Klein pushed the door open and walked to the sink, took four steps backward quickly, and entered the gray mist.


    He clicked on Quin''s red star, and a bright red light spread out, rendering the scene of Quin chanting softly.


    Quin looked curiously as the vortex sucked the items on the table and then disappeared.


    In the gray mist, Klein looked at the suitcase containing twenty thousand pounds, placed it next to a pile of miscellaneous items, and then clicked on the red star of "the Hanged Man", transmitting the image of Quin sacrificing the gold to "the Hanged Man".


    On the other side, in the quiet inn, Aljay, who had been prepared for a long time, quickly received the image and the gold.


    This... twenty thousand pounds... Aljay''s eyes were unable to contain his own gaze, he restrained his greed, not knowing what belonged to him as an extraordinary person, most of it turned into extraordinary characteristics.


    He turned his gaze to his share.


    It was a leather box only slightly smaller than the other one. Seeing the not-small volume of the box, Aljay opened it with some curiosity.


    The inside of the box was neatly arranged with five hundred pounds, emitting a faint, enticing scent of ink.


    The remaining space was occupied by a large brown-yellow cloth bag.


    Is this the "little gift" from Mr. Queen? Aljay picked up the brown-yellow cloth bag, curiously untying the rope, and looking inside:


    The bag contained fist-sized brown-black spherical objects, totaling more than a dozen. Sandwiched among them was a folded piece of pure white paper.


    He opened the paper and read:


    "Hey hey, Mr. Hanged Man!"


    "I suppose you''ve already received my little gift. As you can see, these are seeds."


    Seeds? This big? Aljay touched his stubble, pondering the possibility of planting these plants on the ship. He continued reading:


    "This is a special breed I cultivated. As long as these seeds are buried in the soil, they will mature in half an hour, with a high survival rate and relatively strong vitality."


    "The adult size of these plants is not large, and they can be accommodated in a flowerpot. As for their function..."


    "Hehe, I call it ''Cat Grass''!"


    "They can continuously emit air

 Chapter 20 Filial Generosity

    "Good morning!"


    In the early hours of the morning, Germain and Danniz pushed open the door and found Quin hanging from the ceiling like a spider with intricate vines. Ever since he had suffered from mental illness, Quin had become increasingly spirited.


    Hanging upside down, he smiled at them, saying, "I thought I was the only one who couldn''t sleep. Did you guys have fun last night?"


    Klein, disguised as Germain Sparrow, automatically ignored the second half of the sentence. He adjusted his hat and spoke in a low voice, "We''re preparing for a hunt."


    Danniz nodded eagerly behind him, his excitement almost overflowing.


    "Yo!" Quin''s eyes lit up. The word successfully sparked his curiosity and desire for exploration. He flipped down from the web of vines and said excitedly, "Count me in!"


    Danniz''s expression changed, and he was about to agree with delight.


    He was well aware of the true strength of the seemingly crazy bishop before him, which was akin to the extraordinary ability of "Toxin Expert" Frank Lee, representing him as an equally powerful extraordinary person of Sequence Five.


    Moreover, there was Quin''s mysterious wooden giant and the exceptionally powerful vines, all of which could elevate him even higher above Sequence Five extraordinary individuals.


    With Quin''s help, this "hunt" could only be described as "a sure win".


    However, Danniz''s imagination was shattered by Germain Sparrow''s words.


    He said, "No need."


    Before Danniz could cast his puzzled gaze, Germain continued, "The more people involved, the greater the chance of the ''Punisher'' finding out. Moreover..." He paused for a second, then said expressionlessly, "Next time... I might need your help. I''ll pay you, and I hope you''ll agree."


    "Eh..." Quin elongated the last syllable in disappointment, but he quickly changed his mood. He patted his chest confidently, saying, "No problem, won''t be long. Even if it''s a demigod, I''ve just shown you!"


    "A demigod?" Klein narrowed his eyes slightly.


    Standing beside Germain, Danniz inexplicably felt a chill.


    Klein silently tightened his cane, a series of familiar faces flashing through his mind. He silently said in his heart, "Yins Zangweil! You must keep your life until that time!"


    "...Let''s go."


    He waved his hand and led Danniz out, pushing open the wooden door, ready to set off.


    "Oh, by the way!"


    Quin suddenly stopped them.


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    Germain and Danniz turned around in unison.


    You''ve even picked up the captain''s habit... Klein quipped in his mind.


    Quin reached out a hand, palm open, and two dark-green small branches slowly grew out, resembling small arms with intricate and mottled patterns.


    He threw the branches to them, saying, "I''m off."


    "Back to Bikini Beach."


    "If you need to find me, just use these branches to write ''Quin is super handsome'' on the ground. My messenger will appear. You can contact me in this way."


    "It won''t be long before I have time to hang out with you again." He winked, "If the one at home agrees."


    Klein casually took the branches, examining them for a moment, then suddenly said, "Is it necessary to add the words ''super handsome'' at the end?"


    "Ah, um, well... Ehehe (///¨Œ///)¡«¡î!"


    "Hmph..." Germain chuckled lightly, put away the branches, waved his hand, and walked out of the inn with Danniz.


    "Am I not handsome enough... Sob."


    Quin muttered as he peeled his leather suitcase off the vine web. Besides clothing, there were also several hundred pounds in cash inside.


    The calmly crafted potions and makeshift talismans were all packed in the inside of his coat.


    Suddenly, the morning sun penetrated the shadows, illuminating the room. He involuntarily glanced out the window.


    The "Generous City", which was perennially filled with the aroma of spices, was now bathed in the newborn sunlight; the loud calls of workers came from the distant dock; in the streams of people coming and going, the passion for life was evident on the faces of people of all ages.


    Every person in the city seemed to be striving to create the meaning of life, and all these scenes were fully reflected in Quin''s eyes.


    At this moment, he seemed to have a more intuitive understanding of what "life" meant.


    He smiled, put on his bishop''s hat, straightened his bishop''s robe, and headed towards the port.


    ...


    Quin sat on the edge of the bed, staring fixedly at the rolling waves outside the window. A lingering whisper came to his ears:


    "Life... is the most perfect creation..."


    "And you... are my most perfect one..."


    The illusory, ethereal, and crazed murmurs seemed to come from the starry sky, stirring Quin''s brain and agitating his tainted soul.


    "Give it up." He spoke routinely.


    "As long as I don''t recite your name, this level of murmur won''t affect me. Besides, it''s equivalent to me listening to my own murmur."


    "You don''t understand... you and I will eventually become one..."


    "I understand!" Madness flickered in Quin''s eyes.


    "I understand..."


    "This is... futile resistance...!"


    "Hehe..." A smile curled up at the corners of Quin''s mouth, but he wasn''t actually laughing:


    "Your biggest mistake is..."


    "You gave me life,"


    "Mother."


    He closed his eyes, took out a vial of potion, uncapped it, and downed it, temporarily ignoring the annoying murmur and the constant empty ringing.


    Around him, glass bottles were scattered all over the floor.


    Quin slowly opened his heavy eyelids, his mind unable to stop pondering:


    My current state is not good, pollution is rooted in my soul, to remove it, I must seek the help of the Mother Goddess, fortunately, She should still hold goodwill towards me at the moment.


    But if I want to advance, I will inevitably face the interference of the Fallen Mother Goddess, which is extremely dangerous, I must seek the help of some entity...


    Why not ask Mr. Fool for help first? I still have many entries in my Russell Emperor''s diary, and he should agree. Just blocking the interference of the Fallen Mother Goddess for a while shouldn''t be a big problem for him.


    Thinking of this, Quin felt a little relieved.


    He glanced at the clock. The delivery time promised by the "Hanged Man" was approaching, and his mood gradually became excited and nervous.


    Finally, the familiar vortex appeared on time before him, and a beautifully crafted metal box appeared before his eyes. The box seemed to be made of special extraordinary materials.


    Without opening it, Quin could sense the faint attraction emanating from the box. That was the core of the giant that he needed.


    Along with the box appeared a small note.


    Quin picked up the box and looked at the note. On it, in heavy and steady fonts, it was written:


    "Mr. Emperor, the gift has been received. It''s practical and looks good. Thank you for your generosity. May the Fool protect you."


    Quin finished reading the note, a sincere smile

 Chapter 21: Promotion

    **Bikini Beach at Dusk**


    Crimson moonlight gradually blanketed the earth, and the sound of the harbor''s calls faded with the diminishing ships.


    At the edge of a rugged road, a short figure stood quietly under a streetlight, holding a dark brown suitcase.


    What should I say when I go in...? Nervous thoughts gradually filled Quinn''s mind as he hesitated about how to face Snow.


    After a long while, he took a deep breath and walked forward with a determined look, heading towards the church with the golden spire.


    As the view gradually drew closer and the distance shortened, the grand, dark building came into view.


    Quinn pushed open the door and said, "Snow, I''m back!"


    "....."


    In the pitch-black hall, a pair of blood-red eyes emerged from the darkness.


    Snow, dressed in a pure white cleric robe, looked expressionlessly at Quinn at the door.


    He sat on a pew, a red-painted wooden box at his feet, looking as if he had been sitting there for a long time.


    He quietly stared at Quinn for two seconds, until cold sweat began to form on Quinn''s forehead, then he relaxed his gaze.


    He lowered his head and said softly, "I almost thought you wouldn''t come back..."


    "Haha..." Quinn chuckled dryly. The knowledge imparted by the Fallen Mother Goddess hadn''t included how to deal with situations like this.


    However, the current situation wasn''t too bad. From Quinn''s understanding of Snow, as long as Snow didn''t throw a bottle of decay potion at him upon meeting, it meant he wasn''t too angry.


    Quinn walked to the pew where Snow was sitting, sat down, and said, "I was targeted by a god-level being."


    Hearing this, Snow didn''t react much, as if he had already anticipated it, and sighed, "Bishop Utrovsky told us that you recited the name of an evil god and then went mad."


    "At first, we couldn''t believe it. I, Old Bob, and many extraordinary beings at Bikini Beach have been searching for you."


    "Later, we heard that a beautiful girl with green hair and wearing the Earth Mother God''s cleric robe appeared beside the most insane adventurer on the sea, German Sparrow. People said she was sometimes elegant, sometimes vulgar, sometimes normal, and sometimes crazy, and frighteningly powerful, even more terrifying than German Sparrow."


    "We thought, apart from the gender, the description seemed to match you perfectly. Plus, your telegram made us realize you weren''t dead."


    Snow''s crimson eyes glanced at the box at his feet and said to Quinn, "This is the scarlet nine-root sent by the church. The Earth Mother God has issued an oracle for us to cooperate with your actions."


    As expected, the Earth Mother God doesn''t want to see the Fallen Mother Goddess grow stronger... Quinn had anticipated this. He leaned forward and reached for the red-painted wooden box.


    As he reached for the box, his profile was fully visible to Snow.


    "Tsk, tsk..."


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    Snow suddenly spoke in a strange tone.


    "Quinn, seeing your face after being corrupted, I suddenly feel it''s not unreasonable for them to mistake you for a woman."


    "Hey, hey," veins popped on Quinn''s forehead, "being invaded by ''all feminine forces of the universe'' and not directly turning into a woman is already a blessing!"


    Having suffered once, he didn''t dare to mention the Fallen Mother Goddess''s name again. Even a single sentence could potentially draw Her presence.


    "Damn it, enough talking. I''m going to prepare for my promotion now." Quinn stood up and handed Snow a stack of papers.


    "These are some formulas I took from that evil god. They''re yours. If I lose control, these might be lost."


    Snow didn''t even look at the papers and casually stuffed them into his pocket.


    He gazed sincerely at Quinn and said, "Please remember those you cherish."


    "Got it." Quinn pretended to understand, picked up the two boxes, and walked towards the basement of the Harvest Church.


    ---


    Above the grey fog, Klein had long been ready, sitting in his high-back chair.


    He waited quietly until the layered, ethereal prayers came.


    He immediately looked at the deep red star representing the "Queen," which was now rippling with wave-like deep red light.


    Klein quickly threw out a paper doll, held the "Black Emperor" card of blasphemy in his other hand, and mobilized the power above the grey fog to bless Quinn through the paper doll, shielding him from the whispers of the Fallen Mother Goddess.


    The ordinary paper doll was quickly enveloped by the grey fog, transforming into a holy angel with twelve black wings, embracing Quinn''s ethereal, madness-tainted spirit.


    Gazing at the deep red star symbolizing the "Queen," a faint worry surfaced in "The Fool" Klein''s heart.


    He whispered, "Wish you success."


    "My fellow..."


    On the other side, Quinn, who was praying softly, suddenly saw a bright light. He vaguely saw the figure of the "angel."


    It landed on him and then melted into him, transmitting a warm sense of security. The incessant ethereal whispers by his ears suddenly ceased completely.


    He joyfully muttered, "Praise The Fool!"


    Seizing the duration of the blessing, he swiftly began the creation of the "Philosopher''s Stone."


    He first took out a potion to calm his mind, cautiously drank a measured dose, and when he felt completely clear-headed, he added the materials to the large cauldron before him in a specific order.


    "Enchanted raw stone."


    "Ten drops of refined essence of golden grass."


    "Twenty grams of Elder Tree root powder."


    "Purified demon heart."


    "Golden crystal of the Fountain of Youth."


    ¡­


    Countless precious extraordinary materials were thrown into the cauldron. The flame''s temperature rose and fell more than ten times as required. The making of high-level extraordinary items always required a lengthy process. It was dusk when Quinn arrived, and by the time he reached the final step, the crimson moon was about to set.


    "The last step..."


    Quinn''s eyes were calm, focused solely on the churning raw liquid of the Philosopher''s Stone.


    "All the blood of the creator."


    He pulled out a sharp ritual silver dagger and mercilessly slashed his wrist!


    Ssssh! The dagger''s tip cut through the skin, through the flesh, causing blood to gush from the wound.


    As the blood continued to pour in, the raw liquid of the Philosopher''s Stone gradually turned crimson and slowly solidified!


    However, Quinn''s consciousness also gradually grew faint, his face becoming a sickly pale.


    The crimson light gradually overflowed from the cauldron, the shape of the Philosopher''s Stone almost formed!


    Quinn felt the Earth Grandmother in his divine kingdom beckoning to him, and the world before him gradually faded.


    Death had gripped Quinn''s throat, but the Philosopher''s Stone was still incomplete. His strong survival instinct frantically stimulated his brain, but now, even the strength to activate his healing abilities had left his body.


    In the final moment before death, faces of people flashed through Quinn''s mind, brilliant lives and gentle souls.


    In the face of death, Quinn saw those things he cherished, and an inexplicable strength urged him to reach out his hand.


    No... no... I can''t... fall here!


    At that moment, as all his blood was poured in, the Philosopher''s Stone finally formed completely! Quinn summoned every bit of strength left in his body and stretched his hand towards the stone.


    When his fingertips touched the smooth surface of the Philosopher''s Stone, a surge of life force penetrated his body.


    The feeling of rebirth was almost overwhelming, nearly causing Quinn to lose his mind.


    After a while, he came to his senses, looked down at the Philosopher''s Stone in his hand, pulsating with life, and couldn''t help but chuckle, "Damn, this is way more exhilarating than the Fallen Mother Goddess!"


    Without wasting any more time, extraordinary materials like the giant''s core were sequentially added to the cauldron, and a potion as green as bitter gourd juice was concocted.


    Quinn picked up the "Ancient Alchemist" potion, suddenly recalling the fear of taking homemade remedies in his rural childhood. He pinched his nose, closed his eyes, and gulped it down.

 Chapter 22: Ancient Alchemist

    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, you look exactly like those fathers waiting outside the delivery room for their child to be born.¡±


    Old Bob, with his legs crossed, looked helplessly at Snow, who was anxiously pacing back and forth.


    ¡°Damn! I¡¯m just worried. If he loses control, will we even survive?¡±


    Snow quickly retorted, his tone revealing his agitation.


    Old Bob rubbed his stubbly chin nonchalantly and said, ¡°Nothing to worry about. With me here, at least we can escape.¡±


    ¡°The rest, just leave it to those official Beyonders.¡±


    ¡°You old bastard...¡± Snow said angrily, ¡°I really don¡¯t get where your optimism comes from!¡±


    ¡°We have to have faith in our partner~¡±


    Old Bob shook his head smugly. Suddenly, his eyes widened:


    ¡°Sn... Snow, I think something¡¯s wrong with my feet!¡±


    Snow froze, then his expression changed drastically, and he shouted in a panic:


    ¡°I-I-I feel it too!¡±


    They both looked down at their feet simultaneously. On the floor, blood-red liquid was flooding the hall, climbing up to their ankles.


    They looked toward the basement, where the blood was originating!


    We''re done! They thought simultaneously.


    The blood sea beneath them suddenly churned, and the thick red color engulfed the golden Harvest Church. In the sea of blood, countless tendrils with baby faces sprouted, transforming into writhing tentacles.


    ¡°Old Bob!¡±


    ¡°No evil allowed here¡­ Damn it, my Beyonder abilities are useless now!¡±


    In despair, the two watched as the hideous tendrils wove a net, submerging them in the boundless sea of blood.


    Just as their vision darkened and they were about to lose consciousness, a familiar voice broke through the illusion.


    ¡°Hmm... Looks like my ''one-time scare device'' works pretty well!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    A figure suddenly appeared in the hall, and surprisingly, no one else spoke.


    ¡°Quinn!!!¡±


    ¡°Kid!!!¡±


    ¡°Bro!!!¡±


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    Terrified, Snow and Old Bob worked together to give Quinn a hard slap.


    Snow grabbed Quinn by the collar and roared, ¡°Damn it, I almost thought you had really lost control! Can you stop messing with my heart like this?¡±


    Old Bob sighed, rubbing his forehead helplessly, ¡°Guess I¡¯m getting old. Didn¡¯t even recognize Quinn¡¯s usual tricks.¡±


    The familiar farce finally assured them that it was just a false alarm, and confirmed that Quinn had successfully stepped into the realm of demi-gods!


    Now, Quinn was a Sequence 4 "Ancient Alchemist"!


    ¡°To be honest, the name of this sequence sucks. I already regret becoming a demi-god.¡± This was Quinn¡¯s first thought after his promotion.


    Then he counted the new abilities he gained after becoming an "Ancient Alchemist."


    The "Ancient Alchemist," also known as the "Classical Alchemist" or the "Body Alchemist."


    Quinn could now control low-intelligence supernatural creatures, temporarily reducing their madness;


    In battle, he could increase the madness and risk of losing control in those he attacked, with a chance of causing physical mutations;


    The extraordinary abilities derived from Sequence 8 "Doctor" and Sequence 7 "Harvest Priest" were fundamentally enhanced. He could heal any creature he touched, no matter how severe the injury, unless they had already begun to lose control. He could also fill the surroundings with vitality, making both plants and animals flourish and rapidly reproduce. Theoretically, if Quinn fully exerted his power, he could directly induce a life form to conceive a fetus. In battle, this could be said to be more insulting than harmful.


    Finally, the most demi-god-like ability of the "Ancient Alchemist": he could use incomplete spirits and various materials to perform ultimate "Life Transmutation." This allowed him to create ordinary humans that could exist for a long time, as well as different golems for combat and various tasks, including stone golems, earth golems, and iron golems.


    Golems were not like the colossi he had created when he was a Sequence 5, which were just ordinary humanoid vines empowered by the controlling force of the "Mother''s Nest" over living beings.


    However, in terms of agility, strength, and intelligence, golems were far superior to colossi. The only downside was that they were more difficult to make, but depending on the quality of the materials used, the potential strength of the golems was limitless.


    The function of "Body Transmutation"... hehehehe. Those who understand, understand.


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­


    Over the next two weeks, Quinn planned to adapt to the divinity of his demi-god status while exploring the behavioral rules of the "Ancient Alchemist."


    After two weeks, he would set out to find a way to cleanse the pollution on his spirit.


    During the promotion to Sequence 4, the threat of pollution wasn¡¯t too great. But the higher he climbed, the greater the risk of losing control. Even a bit of pollution could cause Quinn to lose his sanity during promotion and turn into a horrifying monster.


    This was just a short-term plan. For the long term, he still hadn¡¯t found a way to fight against the Fallen Mother. Even though the Fallen Mother had lost her three-pillar-level power, she still stood at the pinnacle of Outer Gods. Even with the help of the Earth Mother, fighting against the Fallen Mother seemed hopeless.


    However, since the Earth Mother hadn¡¯t given up on him, it indicated that there might still be an unknown turning point in the situation, and the path ahead wasn¡¯t entirely dark.


    Thinking of this, Quinn couldn¡¯t help but sigh lightly¡ªschemes of gods were still too distant for a demi-god like him.


    He scratched his butt and turned over on the church bench.


    Ancient Alchemist... Does this mean I have to create something to digest it? Speaking of which, I did feel some feedback from digesting when I made and used the ¡®one-time scare device¡¯...


    Quinn thoughtfully rubbed the ¡°Philosopher''s Stone¡± necklace, which glowed with a green light and was strung together with thorny vines¡ªbecause it looked cooler that way.


    Maybe I could sell alchemical products to Beyonders, or offer processing services? Sounds lame, but digesting the potion is most important...


    Quinn looked up at the sun¡¯s position: ¡°Around 2:30 in the afternoon.¡±


    In half an hour, the Tarot Club would start.


    He quietly lay on the church bench, closing his eyes as if sleeping, waiting unobtrusively until the deep red glow appeared and engulfed him.

 Chapter 23: The Current State of Demi-Gods in the Church of the Earth Mother

    Above the gray fog, the mysterious "Fool" placed a card engraved with intricate patterns beside him.


    Today¡¯s Tarot Club was different from usual because another empty seat had been filled¡ªa new member had joined.


    ¡°Her name is ''Hermit'',¡± said Mr. Fool.


    While "Justice" was introducing the Tarot Club members to "Hermit", Quinn took the opportunity to observe the new member.


    A woman with black hair and purple eyes, dressed in a black robe. Somehow, she reminded Quinn of his strict homeroom teacher from his previous life. Other than that... no matter how hard he tried, he couldn''t discern more details. Miss "Hermit" seemed quite adept at concealing her body language.


    As Quinn observed "Hermit", she was also watching him.


    "The Empress," relatively young, with an appearance that made it difficult to determine gender, green hair, wearing the robe of a bishop of the Earth Mother Church. Highly likely a member of the Earth Mother Church and at least a Sequence Six... His (her) demeanor seemed lively, yet slightly abnormal. Had he (she) been tainted by something?


    The meeting started as usual with the "Fool" reading Emperor Roselle''s diary. Surprisingly, Miss "Hermit" seemed quite shocked by the "Fool''s" ability to understand the diary. Could she be from the same hometown? Quinn speculated.


    After a while, the "Fool" leaned back, the materials in his hand dissipating, and he smiled:


    ¡°You may begin.¡±


    Speaking of which, pulling Quinn into the gray fog consumed significantly more spirituality than usual... Klein¡¯s expression was obscured by the fog: he must be a Sequence Four demi-god by now, which means another strong ally to rely on, hehe...


    Quinn looked around and, perhaps due to the presence of the new member, no one spoke up first, creating a somewhat silent atmosphere.


    He boldly took the initiative, trying hard to keep his voice steady as he said:


    ¡°Well, um¡­¡±


    Everyone¡¯s gaze turned to him simultaneously.


    Quinn felt as if his forehead was sweating:


    ¡°In the future, if you have any suitable extraordinary materials that you want to be processed into tools, you can come to me. I will also offer some extraordinary items for sale¡­¡±


    ¡°A-and, if anyone needs help, I can provide combat support¡­¡±


    ¡°For those Sequence Four and below, I can... it won¡¯t cost much¡­¡±


    Quinn! You are already a demi-god, can you speak with a bit of demi-god confidence? Quinn thought, wishing he could concoct an "anti-social anxiety potion" and pour it into his earlier self.


    In the face of social anxiety, the power of pollution and madness seemed insignificant!


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    After hearing "The Empress''s" statement, the minds of the Tarot Club members simultaneously flashed with a high and mighty term:


    ¡°Demi-god¡±!


    Instantly, a silent atmosphere enveloped the Tarot Club above the gray fog.


    ¡°Mr. Empress is already a demi-god, and I, Forsi... ¡°Magician¡± Forsi deeply felt the disparity in the world. Just like the protagonist in Emperor Roselle''s nonsensical yet mystical stories, the seemingly young Mr. Empress was already a Sequence Four demi-god... while she was still only a Sequence Eight...


    A hint of shock flickered in "The Hanged Man" Alger''s eyes. He quickly calmed his unnecessary movements, leaving only turbulent thoughts in his mind.


    To become a high-ranking power holder, being a demi-god is essential! Alger resolved firmly in his heart.


    Mr. Empress is clearly a demi-god, yet still so shy? "Justice" thought with amusement and surprise. Suddenly, she felt a sense of pride¡ªThe Tarot Club had become a gathering of extraordinary individuals involving demi-gods!


    ¡°Mr. Empress.¡±


    At this moment, the gloomy "World" suddenly spoke.


    ¡°Ah? W-what is it?¡±


    Quinn shivered all over. Mr. World¡¯s voice, as if stuck with phlegm, reminded him of a Batman with a throat cancer voice in his past life. Quinn was a bit flustered.


    "World" raised his hand, indicating the need for a private conversation space.


    With a wave of "The Fool''s" staff, infinite gray fog surged, separating "World" and "The Empress" into an isolated space.


    "World" leaned forward, arms crossed, and said to "The Empress" Quinn:


    ¡°Sometime later, I have a hunt planned against a demi-god.¡±


    ¡°He possesses a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact, though he isn¡¯t in his best condition.¡±


    ¡°I request your assistance for our operation.¡±


    Klein knew Quinn was a church member, so when he mentioned the Sealed Artifact 0-08, he used the church''s classification system for extraordinary items.


    A Grade 0 Sealed Artifact? Quinn was startled, then a name suddenly popped into his mind¡ªInce Zangwill!


    All church personnel who steal sealed artifacts and defect would be hunted by the churches of the seven orthodox gods. One particularly dangerous fallen bishop who absconded with a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact was Ince Zangwill.


    "World" continued:


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to confront him directly; you just need to protect my companions during the battle.¡±


    For Klein, it didn¡¯t matter if the Sherlock Moriarty identity was exposed; sooner or later, Gehrman Sparrow¡¯s identity would also be known to this fellow countryman, so there was nothing to hide.


    Quinn weighed the pros and cons, then nodded and whispered:


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    ¡°Uh, I don¡¯t need gold pounds as compensation.¡±


    ¡°I only need you to help me find a way to remove the pollution.¡±


    "World" nodded as if he had anticipated this and said:


    ¡°Deal.¡±


    The isolated space merged back with the original, and the Tarot Club members controlled their curiosity, not looking their way.


    Transactions continued, and several Tarot Club members requested Quinn¡¯s help in crafting alchemical tools, such as "Moon" and "Magician," whether for family or friends.


    Finally, "The Fool" gently tapped the mottled bronze long table, signaling the end of this Tarot meeting.


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­


    Quinn opened his eyes, slowly sat up from the bench, stretched lazily as if he had taken a nap.


    Suddenly, he felt something unusual under his feet.


    Looking down, he saw dozens of letters beneath him, based on the feel.


    What the...? Quinn, puzzled, opened the letters one by one and found that they were all from the Earth Mother Church. The envelopes didn¡¯t contain letters but orders written on parchment.


    After learning about his promotion to "Ancient Alchemist," the church quickly assigned him the task of making some extraordinary items, and regular orders and extraordinary materials would be sent in the future.


    In fact, this would help Quinn digest his potion, and the church would record his contributions. Accumulating enough contributions could even allow him to exchange for the Sequence 3 "Pallbearer" potion.


    As a breeze blew, a lively little deer leapt out of the void. It lowered its head and gently placed a letter beside Quinn, blinking at him, circling around him affectionately.


    ¡°Sigh...¡± Quinn let out a bitter smile, burying his face in the deer¡¯s neck and said helplessly:


    ¡°If I had known, I would be exploited even in another world¡­¡±


    ¡°The coming days will be busy¡­¡±

 Chapter 24: The Arrival of "The Empress"

    Two weeks later, on Monday, March 7th, in the basement of the Harvest Church.


    In the center of the basement, a large cauldron bubbling with strange light stood.


    Quinn stood beside the cauldron, his eyes tightly observing the undulating blue-purple liquid inside. Nearby, four silent wooden golems methodically added ingredients to the cauldron.


    With the golems handling the work, Quinn didn¡¯t actually need to participate in the potion-making process. However, to avoid the Monday service, he used work as an excuse to sneak down to the basement.


    ¡°This is to train Snow¡¯s abilities...¡± Quinn muttered, ¡°It¡¯s definitely not because I find the service too boring and dumped this task on Snow, not at all!¡±


    Only when the golem responsible for stirring stopped its work, and the sapphire-like glowing liquid in the cauldron settled, did Quinn nod in satisfaction. The golems then began to pour the potion into small metal bottles and neatly packed them in a box.


    These wooden golems, composed of incomplete spirits and plants that Quinn had nurtured, were extremely cheap, possessed a certain level of intelligence, and could understand Quinn''s commands.


    Quinn named this model "Refine One," specifically for potion-making. Others included the "Guard Two" earth golems, scattered across Bikini Beach in the hundreds, and the "Work Three" steel golems. He had only made three of these, which could transform from palm-sized iron dolls into five-meter-tall steel giants for combat.


    ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s successful.¡± Quinn scrutinized the now calm liquid in the cauldron. This was the last batch of the church¡¯s orders for the week.


    ¡°But¡­¡± Quinn mused aloud, ¡°Why does it feel like the demand for ''Feminization Potion'' is higher than that for ''Harvest Potion''?¡±


    ¡°The nobles of Intis really know how to play, tsk tsk.¡±


    In fact, a bottle of "Feminization Potion" was more expensive in Intis noble circles than a potion that could elevate someone to Sequence Seven. These nobles, seeking new thrills, were willing to spend a fortune to experience different perspectives. Since Quinn could also brew the "Masculinization Potion," they could transform back and forth dozens of times in one night without issue. This greatly helped the church in gaining their support.


    ¡°It¡¯s about time.¡±


    Quinn watched as the last batch of supplies was stacked in the corner, checked the time, and saw that the service upstairs had ended. He grabbed his suitcase from beside the door with his left hand and picked up his extraordinary item, the giant scythe "Cradle," with his right.


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    ¡°Time to find Gehrman for some fun!¡±


    ¡°With Old Bob in Backlund, no one will bother Snow. But he¡¯s not the type who likes socializing anyway¡­¡±


    Having ascended to Sequence Four and adapted to the increased divine influence, Quinn needed to find a way to remove the corruption of the Fallen Mother Goddess.


    The dual pollution from the ¡°Wraith¡± of the Rose School and Quinn¡¯s "Cradle" had been cleared before his promotion. Now, his spirit only bore the madness accumulated from the Fallen Mother Goddess over countless years.


    Going to sea was partly to find a solution and partly because Quinn found the church too boring. Since Snow could make the potions, Quinn felt confident sneaking out for some fun.


    Quietly, Quinn''s figure sank into the ground, leaving behind a farewell note. He then swiftly headed out to sea.


    ¡°Gehrman said he¡¯d be on the ''Iceberg Lieutenant¡¯s'' ship, and I should meet him near the Ruins of the Sea?¡±


    Quinn stood on the back of a swiftly moving blue-striped dolphin, looking at the deep sea below, a thought suddenly crossed his mind.


    He took off his shoe and sock from one foot and dipped it into the water, then¡ª


    ¡°Snap!¡±


    A fish as thick as an adult''s thigh bit onto Quinn¡¯s leg, nearly covering half his foot. Its two bulging eyes turned in confusion, seemingly wondering why this prey wasn¡¯t edible.


    ¡°Whoa! It actually worked, I¡¯m awesome!¡±


    Quinn, holding the goofy fish that had bitten, laughed heartily. He scrutinized the fish for a few seconds:


    ¡°Hah, looks so silly.¡±


    Splash! Quinn casually tossed it back into the water.


    It turned out that after ascending to demi-god as a "Druid," he had become even closer to nature. Creatures of the natural world were more drawn to him, in every sense of the word.


    In less than half a day, the dolphin beneath Quinn delivered him to the outskirts of the Forgotten Sea.


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­


    On the other side, on the "Golden Dream."


    On the deck, Klein watched a squid rise and fall, his intuition suddenly piqued. He looked up to see a phantom deer tossing a letter to him.


    Klein easily caught the letter, nodded at the deer, and opened the envelope.


    It simply read:


    ¡°Arrived!¡±


    So it¡¯s Quinn¡­ Klein casually divined Quinn¡¯s location, then wrote succinctly on the back of the paper:


    ¡°To the right.¡±


    The deer picked up the paper, turned, and disappeared into countless green light spots.


    Next to him, "Admiral of Stars" Cattleya, having watched the entire process, subtly frowned and asked Gehrman Sparrow:


    ¡°Who?¡±


    Klein, changing his posture against the railing, calmly said:


    ¡°A friend.¡±


    ¡°A demi-god.¡±


    Cattleya¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change much, but her heart was turbulent.


    A demi-god friend of ¡°The World¡±? She suddenly recalled the private conversation between ¡°The World¡± and ¡°The Empress¡± two weeks ago.


    Is it "The Empress"? Cattleya pondered over "The Empress¡¯s" behavior at the recent Tarot meetings, making a quick assessment of his personality: introverted, naive, not dangerous. If it was "The Empress" coming, Cattleya felt there wouldn¡¯t be much of an issue. The ship would gain a powerful demi-god combatant.


    Suddenly, Cattleya saw Gehrman''s gaze deepen, as if staring at some terrible creature.


    ¡°In a certain sense...¡± Gehrman began, ¡°he is quite a terrifying person.¡±


    Cattleya¡¯s face changed, about to ask why, when an unfamiliar voice suddenly emerged, seemingly from below deck:


    ¡°Hey, hey, I heard that loud and clear.¡±


    A dripping wet blue figure emerged from the ship''s side, appearing before the two.


    Grabbing the railing, Quinn pushed aside the hair hanging before his eyes, grinned at Gehrman Sparrow, and said:


    ¡°Gehrman, I¡¯ve come to play!¡±

 Chapter 25: The "Future"

    With green hair, an emerald thorn necklace, the robes of an Earth Mother priest, a delicate face, and eyes harboring a hint of madness, "Admiral of the Stars" Cattleya quickly identified the man before her as the "Empress" from the Tarot Club!


    Gehrman Sparrow, wearing his half-high silk hat, nodded lightly at Quinn:


    "Welcome, Quinn."


    Quinn smiled brightly but complained,


    "Why did the Hunter only say ''to the right''? It was so vague."


    He effortlessly flipped over the railing and stood steadily on the deck, his white priestly robes dripping water.


    Gehrman placed his hat on his chest and bowed slightly,


    "Apologies, Quinn, I¡¯ll be clearer next time."


    "Then I¡¯ll forgive you next time."


    Quinn rolled his eyes but smiled.


    "I just arrived as well," said Cattleya, standing nearby. The harmony between the two made it difficult for her to join their conversation.


    Gehrman pointed at Cattleya with his eyes and introduced her,


    "This is ''Admiral of the Stars,'' Cattleya, the owner of the ''Future.''"


    Quinn immediately looked over. Cattleya nodded at him and said,


    "Welcome, Mr. Quinn."


    "Y-you¡¯re welcome!" Quinn stammered, surprised that this mature woman dressed like an astrologer was "Admiral of the Stars" Cattleya, and he hadn''t greeted her properly!


    Flustered, he pulled a small box from behind him and handed it to Cattleya,


    "A small gift, a token of my respect, I hope it¡¯s not too much trouble."


    What is this... Cattleya was puzzled by the demi-god¡¯s gesture of giving a gift right upon meeting. Feeling it would be impolite to refuse, she accepted it. A quick glance revealed it contained a doll-like object, radiating complex spiritual light.


    Is it a magical doll or some extraordinary item? So generous... Cattleya thought. She said to Quinn,


    "Mr. Quinn, let me show you around the ''Future.''"


    "Great!"


    Quinn¡¯s eyes lit up. This was his first time aboard a legendary pirate ship, and one with extraordinary abilities at that!


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    Cattleya felt a moment of discomfort but led the curious Quinn into the cabin.


    The sailors¡¯ eyes followed Quinn, making him a bit uneasy as he glanced around the "Future."


    Quinn noticed the deck, masts, and cabins were inscribed with mysterious runes. With his knowledge of ancient alchemy and mysticism, he could tell these runes formed a large ritual magic.


    A man in suspenders and a white shirt awaited them. He was in his thirties, strong, and covered in thick body hair. Quinn almost wanted to ask, "Aren¡¯t you hot in that sweater?"


    Seeing him, Quinn''s eyes widened in surprise,


    "Frank Lee!"


    The man was equally delighted,


    "Quinn Free!"


    They hugged each other tightly, their chests making a loud thud. Quinn exclaimed,


    "Frank, I thought you had been judged!"


    "I¡¯m alive and well."


    Frank''s face wrinkled with a big smile. Eager to show Quinn around, he said excitedly,


    "Your arrival is the best news I¡¯ve heard all year! With you here, our experiments will surely have breakthrough progress!"


    Hearing this, Cattleya¡¯s face changed drastically, turning pale. Panic flashed in her heart, but Frank had already pulled Quinn away. Cattleya reached out to stop Frank but was too late.


    Cattleya closed her eyes in regret. I hope they don¡¯t destroy the ship... she thought.


    ...


    "This is our first mate on the ''Future,'' Heath Doyle."


    "Hello."


    "Hello, hello!"


    "And this is the bosun, Nina."


    "Cutie~"


    "Y-y-y-you hello!"


    Frank hurriedly introduced Quinn to the crew, then swiftly toured the ship before heading straight to the lab.


    Bang! In the dim laboratory, Frank shut the door, and Quinn eagerly rushed to the workbench,


    "Frank, show me your results!"


    "Hehehe, you haven¡¯t changed a bit!" Frank proudly pointed to a tank covered with a black cloth, "Inside is my latest experiment! Fish with red wine for blood!"


    "Frank, you¡¯re a devil!" Quinn pulled off the cloth, nearly pressing himself against the tank, observing intently.


    Quinn and Frank had been partners in crime in the Earth Mother Church, sharing a mutual fascination with bizarre things. They were often punished together, although Frank, as the instigator, usually received harsher punishment.


    After watching for a while, Quinn frowned,


    "Frank, these fish don¡¯t seem to have reproductive abilities."


    "What?" Frank rushed over in shock.


    "What¡¯s going on?" he murmured anxiously, his brow furrowing.


    Quinn pondered and asked, "When hybridizing, where did you focus the nurturing ability more?"


    "The grapevine that produces the red wine."


    "That¡¯s it." Quinn clapped his hands, "If you focus on the plant part, you might have to plant the fish in soil, which isn¡¯t suitable at sea."


    "You should focus on the fish part to retain more animal characteristics."


    "But I can¡¯t direct the ability onto animals or control it so precisely," Frank said, troubled.


    Quinn thumped his chest confidently, "That¡¯s why I¡¯m here!"


    "Hahaha, right!" Frank¡¯s smile returned. He continued,


    "But now isn¡¯t the right time for experiments. It¡¯s already late."


    "Your room is next to the captain¡¯s cabin, beside Gehrman Sparrow¡¯s."


    Quinn nodded,


    "Let¡¯s go."


    Frank led Quinn onto the deck, up several flights of stairs, and into the captain¡¯s cabin. He pointed to the back,


    "That¡¯s it."


    Quinn made a confirmation gesture, took his luggage, and tiptoed into his room.


    In the next room, Klein watched Quinn¡¯s actions through his spiritual line, smiling secretly.


    After a quick wash, Quinn lay on the bed, staring at the unfamiliar ceiling. Reflecting on the day¡¯s events, he suddenly thought,


    Gehrman¡¯s personality is so similar to ¡°The World¡±¡­


    It shouldn¡¯t be¡­


    The world isn¡¯t that small. Forget it, time to sleep¡­


    "Goodnight, Makka Pakka."


    He mumbled, commanded vines to turn off the light, and buried his face and hair under the blanket.


    Next door, in the deep darkness, Klein silently smiled,


    "Goodnight, Upsy Daisy."

 Chapter 26: A Bit of Trouble

    **Knock, knock, knock!**


    The urgent knocking pulled Quinn from his deep sleep. ¡°Who¡­ huh¡­¡±


    Quinn lay in bed, his eyes stubbornly shut as he mumbled groggily towards the door.


    A calm voice responded:


    ¡°It¡¯s me, Gehrman.¡±


    Click, bang!


    Quinn shuffled to the door in his slippers and opened it to find Gehrman Sparrow standing there in full attire, his half-high silk hat atop his head. Rubbing his eyes, Quinn asked:


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    Gehrman was silent for a moment before speaking:


    ¡°Last night... the sailors were especially excited.¡±


    ¡°Cattleya¡¯s potted plants overgrew her room.¡±


    ¡°Frank¡¯s fish multiplied by the hundreds overnight.¡±


    ¡°They asked me to inquire about the situation.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Quinn scratched his head, suddenly recalling that he might have sleepwalking tendencies. Last night, he seemed to dream about planting vegetables in a garden, but he thought the vegetables were growing too slowly, so he might have activated his abilities in his sleep.


    It seems the problem stems from me! Quinn''s brain cleared up, and he said sheepishly:


    ¡°Maybe¡­ it was my fault¡­¡±


    Gehrman stared at Quinn, as if sighing internally.


    ¡°D-don¡¯t look at me like that!¡± Quinn blushed, ¡°I was just sleepwalking!¡±


    A demi-god¡¯s sleepwalking¡­ Upon seeing the bed sprout green shoots upon waking up, Klein deeply understood what it felt like to have an unreliable demi-god around.


    ¡°Try to control it.¡±


    Gehrman said simply, then walked towards the deck.


    ¡°Okay¡­¡±


    Quinn¡¯s voice trailed off.


    Quinn threw a few dolls onto the ground, which swiftly grew into two-meter-tall figures and rushed outside to clean up the mess left by his sleepwalking.


    As it turned out, the consequences of a demi-god¡¯s sleepwalking were indeed frightening.


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    Cattleya looked at the branches filling her room and blocking the door, sighing deeply. She now understood the downsides of having a demi-god on board.


    With the help of the golems assisting the sailors in clearing the rampant plants, awakening the exhausted Nina, and dealing with Frank¡¯s rampant red wine fish, Quinn¡¯s impact was finally neutralized.


    For the next few days, Quinn stayed holed up in his room, too embarrassed to come out. One night, he snuck out to enjoy the sea.


    The scenery from the pirate ship was different from a passenger ship. Each sea area they passed through was particularly mysterious and unique.


    Quinn wandered along the deck¡¯s edge, spotting Gehrman Sparrow and Frank Lee seemingly admiring the view as well.


    Quinn quietly approached them and suddenly spoke:


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    The two seemed to have anticipated his approach, turning calmly to look at him, making Quinn feel quite deflated.


    ¡°As expected of you two, seeing through my stealth so easily!¡±


    No, it¡¯s just your clumsiness is too obvious¡­ Klein thought silently.


    At night, the clouds had thinned, and the crimson moonlight cast a faint blood-red hue over the deck. A hurricane raged on the left side of the "Future," and in the distant darkness, a massive shadow suddenly appeared!


    ¡°A sea monster?¡± Gehrman stared at the enormous black figure, uncertain.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a sea monster, there¡¯s no life aura,¡± Quinn said, puzzled. ¡°Could it be a ship¡­?¡±


    As the shadow drew closer to the "Future," they finally saw its true form.


    ¡°The ''Death Knell,'' flagship of the ''Undying King'' Agalitu.¡± Frank spoke with a serious tone, but not too tense.


    As the "Death Knell" approached the "Future," the sailors moved onto the deck, warily watching the other ship.


    Cattleya also emerged from the captain¡¯s cabin, her eyes following the shadow of the "Death Knell," prepared for a sudden attack. From the deck, they saw the pirates aboard the "Death Knell" brandishing weapons, taunting as much as they could.


    The "Death Knell" sailed by, pulling away gradually, then suddenly unfurled its sails without warning.


    A sharp, malicious laugh echoed from hundreds of meters away, enveloping the "Future."


    ¡°Hahaha!¡±


    ¡°Hahaha!¡±


    The laugh continued, sometimes hoarse, sometimes chaotic, sometimes like murmurs, sometimes like singing. Sailors on the deck fell one by one, clutching their ears in pain, writhing in agony.


    ¡°Enough laughing!¡±


    Seeing Frank¡¯s pained, contorted face and Gehrman¡¯s twisted expression, Quinn became furious.


    He stomped his foot, unleashing his power.


    The calm sea suddenly boiled, countless mast-thick shadows shot out from beneath the "Future," rushing towards the "Death Knell."


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The two-hundred-meter-long ship was forcibly lifted, cold, sinister vines as thick as deep-sea monster tentacles pierced the massive hull, strangling the "Death Knell" like the noose of death.


    Quinn extended a hand, his eyes cold and crazed, making Frank feel a stranger to him. He clenched his fist hard!


    Boom, crack!


    ¡°F-fallen¡­!!!¡±


    The malicious laughter abruptly stopped, the tail end filled with fear and disbelief, as if encountering the most terrifying thing in life.


    The massive vine noose tightened suddenly, countless sharp thorns blooming, turning the "Death Knell" into a sea urchin, and then¡ªexploding!


    Cattleya stood in the captain¡¯s cabin, almost unable to believe her eyes.


    The once arrogant "Death Knell" had vanished, leaving only large wooden fragments floating on the sea.


    The "Future" raised its sails and sped away from the area under the night¡¯s cover.


    ¡°Well, the fallen mother¡¯s blessing is indeed useful~¡±


    Quinn retracted his hand, proudly placing his hands on his hips.


    Until the "Future" disappeared from view, the area where the "Death Knell" sank slowly churned, numerous fragments gradually reassembling into the ship¡¯s original form.


    A faint whisper echoed, though much weaker than before:


    ¡°A child of the fallen mother¡­¡±


    ¡°Why is it a male¡­¡±

 Chapter 27: The Annoying Hunter

    A few days later, in the "Sea of Ruins."


    The Sea of Ruins was a mysterious and dangerous region. Within just half a day, Quinn had encountered things such as a solar chariot that turned people to ashes just by looking at it, corpses emitting breaths that nearly caused loss of control, and bonfires floating on the sea.


    These phenomena were extremely dangerous, some of which even the demi-god Quinn couldn¡¯t withstand.


    Just before noon, as lunch was being served, another strange event occurred¡ªdarkness abruptly fell.


    ¡°Hey, who turned off the lights?¡± was Quinn¡¯s first reaction.


    The calm, mature voice of ¡°The Hermit¡± Cattleya echoed from the captain¡¯s cabin, resonating throughout the "Future":


    ¡°Return to your rooms or find a corner and fall asleep.¡±


    ¡°Until you wake up naturally.¡±


    ¡°The Poison Expert¡± Frank asked loudly, somewhat confused:


    ¡°What happens if we don¡¯t sleep?¡±


    Quinn nodded in curiosity.


    Cattleya stood behind the window of the captain¡¯s cabin and said:


    ¡°When we wake up, we¡¯ll find you¡¯ve disappeared, never to be found again.¡±


    ¡°How terrifying!¡±


    Quinn exclaimed cooperatively and immediately ran back to his room, diving onto the bed.


    Closing his eyes and then opening them again, Quinn found himself in an unfamiliar place.


    Surrounding Quinn was a black monastery with massive spires. He stood in the middle of a square, with collapsed stone pillars beside him.


    Frank, Nina, and the navigator Ottolov were all there, but Gehrman and Cattleya were nowhere to be seen.


    Frank and the others looked like they had just woken up, in a dazed state, each doing their own thing, but Quinn felt exceptionally clear-headed.


    Quinn walked over to Frank, who was digging through rubble with a shovel, surrounded by white bread, fried fish, and toasted bread.


    Quinn asked curiously:


    ¡°Frank, what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Quinn!¡± Frank¡¯s face lit up with joy. He excitedly explained, ¡°I¡¯m planning to use these things to cultivate my little treasures so that bulls can produce milk.¡±


    Quinn pondered for a moment and then asked, puzzled, ¡°Where would the milk come out of a bull?¡±


    Frank fell into deep thought.


    Quinn decided not to disturb him and walked over to where Nina and Ottolov were sitting on a collapsed pillar.


    Nina was guzzling down alcohol while Ottolov watched her quietly, creating a harmonious atmosphere.


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    Not wanting to break the beautiful mood, Quinn quietly released some of his power, making the surrounding life force more vigorous, further enhancing the harmony.


    He crossed the square and came to the entrance of the black spire. The ten-meter-high doors were closed, and driven by curiosity, Quinn tried to push them open.


    A sharp creaking sound like nails on a chalkboard made Quinn shiver. He stepped into the hall, where the walls and ceiling were connected by magnificent frescoes. In the center of the hall, a man stood with his back to Quinn, chopping huge logs with an axe.


    Quinn approached the man and greeted him:


    ¡°Hello.¡±


    The man heard Quinn¡¯s voice, immediately put away the axe, and turned to face Quinn.


    He was a young-looking man with golden hair parted in a 3:7 ratio and focused, serious green eyes. Upon seeing Quinn¡¯s face, a gentle smile spread across his own:


    ¡°Hello, beautiful lady.¡±


    Quinn¡¯s mood instantly soured.


    Scowling, he raised his voice and said:


    ¡°Look closely, I¡¯m a man!¡±


    The man involuntarily took a breath and observed Quinn¡¯s smooth green hair and the earth mother¡¯s priest robe. Hesitantly, he asked:


    ¡°A Sower?¡±


    Quinn nodded.


    ¡°Ah.¡± The man slapped his thigh and said with a radiant smile, ¡°It was bound to happen eventually.¡±


    Boom! Thud!


    An enraged Quinn stomped hard, causing the ground to come alive and swallow the man, leaving only his stunned head above ground.


    With a frosty expression, Quinn looked down at the annoying man and said:


    ¡°That¡¯s none of your concern.¡±


    ¡°Now, I¡¯ll ask, you answer.¡±


    The man tried to struggle but to no avail. He smiled wryly and nodded.


    ¡°Who are you and what are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°My name is Anderson Hood, a treasure hunter, trapped here.¡±


    ¡°Where is this place?¡±


    ¡°That... I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Anderson tried to shrug to show his helplessness but, realizing he was buried in the ground, could only manage a bitter smile.


    Quinn squatted down, leaning forward to stare at Anderson Hood, trying to exert a pressuring presence to see if Anderson was telling the truth.


    Anderson stared back at Quinn. After a few seconds, he suddenly said:


    ¡°I admit, at this angle, you¡¯re quite charming, but¡ª¡±


    Two vines burst from the ground, wrapping tightly around Anderson¡¯s mouth, the immense pressure making his head feel like it might explode.


    Quinn¡¯s lips curled into an emotionless smile. He planned to give this impudent hunter a hard lesson. Just then, blinding sunlight poured in, turning the hall pure white and dissolving the dream completely.


    Quinn opened his eyes, emerging from the dream.


    Damn this dream! Quinn was still seething with anger, thinking it might be a trick by the Fallen Mother to wear down his will.


    Quinn glanced at the sun¡¯s position outside the window, estimating that about thirty minutes had passed since they entered the dream.


    He stormed out of his room, returning to the dining hall to continue his meal.


    What about me looks like a woman! Quinn bit savagely into a piece of white bread, not noticing the sailors sneaking glances at him.


    To the sailors, this new passenger seemed to have a unique charm¡ªdifferent from the captain¡¯s maturity or the first mate¡¯s fiery presence, but a fresh vitality like a sea breeze that captivated them. However, this was merely the life force Quinn unintentionally exuded.


    After the pirates finished their lunch in shifts, "Admiral of the Stars" Cattleya once again opened the window of the captain¡¯s cabin and amplified her voice with magic:


    ¡°Fifteen nautical miles ahead is an island where we¡¯ll stop and wait out the storm.¡±


    ¡°In this ocean, terrifying storms can appear whenever day and night alternate. I¡¯m not sure when it will come, but I think it¡¯s safer to wait it out before continuing our voyage.¡±


    Half an hour later, leaden clouds began to gather, and a massive storm rose from the horizon, like a giant¡¯s hand overturning the Sea of Ruins.


    Rain pounded on the deck, and the wind nearly toppled the masts and collapsed the walls.


    A quarter-hour later, the storm gradually subsided, and sunlight and blue skies drove away the clouds, lighting up the sky once more.


    ¡°You can go ashore for a while but don¡¯t go deep. Stay within cannon range.¡± Cattleya gave the pirates a brief reprieve.


    ¡°Alright!¡± Quinn cheered with the pirates, rushing to the deck and then to the beach.


    Gehrman strolled along the shore; Cattleya walked on the sand, stepping on the waves; Quinn happily stuck his giant scythe ¡°Cradle¡± into the sand and started building sandcastles.


    Suddenly, all three looked up in the same direction.


    A small black dot was rapidly approaching.


    It was running along the edge of the cliff!


    The dot grew larger, revealing a human figure!


    As the figure neared, dressed in a white shirt, black vest, and black trousers, a medium-built, blonde-haired, green-eyed young man appeared.


    Quinn stood up abruptly, kicking apart the sandcastle, drew his giant scythe ¡°Cradle,¡± and shouted at the young man:


    ¡°Anderson Hood!¡±

 Chapter 28 No Talking Allowed

    "Wait, wait, calm down!"


    Anderson watched as Quinn, wielding a huge scythe with murderous intent, charged towards him. His face changed dramatically as he plopped down on the ground, bowing his head and shouting:


    "I''m sorry, I was wrong!"


    Afraid Quinn hadn''t heard clearly, he shouted again:


    "I''m sorry, I was wrong!"


    Anderson wished he could strangle his past self from a few hours ago. Why couldn''t he control his mouth and offend a demigod again? It was just too unlucky! Anderson lamented.


    Quinn slowed his pace, walking up to him, momentarily at a loss for words.


    Gelman Sparrow and Jadelya followed suit, witnessing the man who had fallen flat on the ground. Their eyes took on a strange look.


    "Explain why you''re here," Quinn calmly asked, twirling the staff in his hand as if to say, "If you can''t explain, I''ll bury you."


    Anderson didn''t dare to lift his head, facing the ground as he replied:


    "My companions and I came here to explore for treasures. However, after entering the temple on this island, we encountered something unusual."


    "There were many well-preserved murals, which this gentleman had also seen in the dream world," he nodded towards Quinn.


    Quinn''s face darkened, not wanting to recall those unpleasant memories.


    "One of the murals was particularly eerie, depicting a pilgrimage procession advancing through the parted sea.


    "The leader of this procession was depicted as an angel with long silver hair down to his back, with gentle features.


    "When I first approached the mural, I extended my right hand and habitually traced various lines in the air, really, I didn''t touch it, there was at least a 5-centimeter gap, but unexpectedly, the angel in the painting seemed to open his eyes at that moment."


    "Pfft... Ahem!" Quinn couldn''t help but burst into laughter, then pretended to be choked by saliva to cover it up.


    That acting wasn''t very convincing... Klein glanced at Quinn, who was holding back laughter, and silently criticized him.


    "A silver-haired angel?" Jadelya asked in response.


    "Yes, but I don''t know which angel this is. None of the paintings from the seven major churches have shown him. Of course, it might be something the mural artist added casually, not necessarily real," Anderson said, about to brush his hair, only to find the man in front of him, wearing a round-necked shirt, a brown jacket, and a duckbill cap, staring at him with cold indifference, as if he would attack without hesitation at any slight movement.


    Thinking that "The Hermit" lady could get answers just by asking casually at the next tarot meeting, Klein didn''t conceal anything, and simply said:


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    "The Devourer Urolius."


    "Devourer Urolius?" Jadelya''s lips subconsciously pursed, and the purple color in her eyes seemed a bit more pronounced.


    The last time she heard this name was at the tarot meeting, thanks to Miss Justice''s information.


    It was her first time learning about the existence of the Angel of Destiny, and she didn''t expect to come across clues in the real world in just a few months!


    "Devourer Urolius?" Anderson chewed the name somewhat blankly.


    Quinn had heard about the legend of the "Angel of Destiny" at the tarot meeting before. He put on a look of "I understand it very well, but I don''t want to tell you."


    Klein remained silent, looking like he wasn''t interested in explaining.


    Seeing that even the "Star Marshal" remained silent, Anderson laughed awkwardly and continued:


    "At that time, I thought it was an illusion because there were no more abnormalities after that mural.


    "Then, our team split into two parts. Most of them were scared by my description, thinking that we shouldn''t explore the temple. The remaining one-third were eager to find more treasures and headed deeper into the temple. We waited a whole day, waiting for the alternation between three times of noon and midnight, but they never returned.


    "We''re all excellent treasure hunters, so we knew something had gone wrong. After a brief confirmation, we didn''t dare to stay any longer or wait any longer. We immediately left the temple and returned on the same boat. We had collected enough treasures and didn''t want to take any more risks."


    Anderson sighed again:


    "After leaving the temple, we found some changes in ourselves. On the one hand, we became very unlucky, nothing went smoothly no matter what we did. Even quietly drinking a few sips of light beer, someone would find that someone had mistaken the beer barrel for a toilet and urinated in it. Well, that wasn''t my experience, it was one of my companions''.


    "Hahaha!" Quinn burst into laughter.


    Anderson''s face seemed to flush a lot. He pretended not to hear and continued:


    "On the other hand, we gained control over ourselves in the dream world. We were no longer in a state where we knew something but couldn''t act. So, some of my companions, about one-third of the initial number, curiously ventured deeper into the dream world. Well, they never came back either."


    Jadelya, who had been listening quietly, spoke up:


    "What about their bodies in the real world?"


    "They turned into monsters, killed many of the remaining companions, and killed most of the sailors," Anderson took a deep breath, "although we managed to kill those monsters, due to the lack of enough sailors and encountering a series of unlucky events, we didn''t manage to reach this island before the storm arrived. So, our ship sank, and so did our gains. The rest of the companions either drowned, were struck by lightning, or were eaten by the monsters in the water. I didn''t witness everything with my own eyes.


    "Only I, relatively stronger and luckier than them, was thrown by the waves and managed to swim to this island, trying to make a raft to leave. But the axe broke!"


    After finishing his story, Anderson turned to "Star Marshal" Jadelya and the unnamed Mr. Klein and grinned:


    "Do I have the honor to ride on the ''Future''?"


    "I''ll pay the fare."


    He looked like he was willing to pay whatever price they asked for.


    Jadelya looked at Quinn and Gelman, seemingly seeking their opinions.


    Quinn turned his head, looking somewhat unwilling, but if she insisted, there was nothing he could do. Gelman was still contemplating.


    Just as he hesitated, trying to guess, Anderson urgently said:


    "I''m very familiar with the upcoming route!


    "I can help you avoid the dangers hidden in the safe passages, tell you which relics cannot be explored, and let you evade the mermaid''s song in time!"


    "The mermaid''s song?" Klein''s eyes almost lit up, barely maintaining Gelman Sparrow''s appearance.


    "Yes, it''s about a day''s journey from here, I mean in the outside world. Pass a ruin and turn to..." Here, Anderson suddenly realized something and smiled knowingly, closing his mouth and saying no more.


    Quinn sighed, seeming somewhat reluctant.


    After Gelman performed a divination in front of him, nodding in agreement to let Anderson board the ship, and after Anderson promised the fare, Jadelya nodded.


    "Speaking of which..." Gelman suddenly spoke up, looking at Quinn, "why did

 Chapter 29 Mutation

    "So, now you''re a super jinx who can infect others?"


    "If we turn you into a statue, would the bad luck still exist?"


    On the "Future," Quinn leaned against the railing, curious as he asked Anderson.


    Anderson grinned awkwardly and replied, "In that case, that angel would probably think I''m dead, and maybe the bad luck would disappear."


    "Oh..."


    Quinn nodded somewhat regretfully. It seemed that his idea of creating a "Jinx Statue" was probably not feasible. Anderson wiped the sweat off his face discreetly, resolving never to talk back again.


    After a while, Quinn, watching the waves, suddenly frowned.


    "What''s going on? I seem to sense Frank''s bacteria on this ship. It''s everywhere!"


    Quinn bent down and stamped the deck, wondering if he was mistaken. Anderson didn''t understand at all, but subconsciously stamped his foot too.


    With an abnormal tremor, two milky white fountains suddenly gushed out on the deck, splashing Quinn and Anderson all over.


    "Damn!"


    Quinn instinctively licked the milky white liquid from the corner of his mouth, his face showing a surprised expression.


    "The Future is milking!"


    Anderson stared dumbfoundedly at the milky white fountains, forgetting to even wipe his clothes. He now suspected he was being dragged into another dream.


    But this crazy scene didn''t last long. Green vines spread wildly across the deck, crazily absorbing the milk and Frank''s bacteria on the ship.


    Soon, the "Future" turned into a sea jungle. On the other side, came Frank''s voice, somewhat panicked:


    "It''s under control!"


    "Ah..."


    Quinn felt somewhat regretful. He stomped on the deck again, but no milk fountain appeared.


    "Hmm?"


    Within Quinn''s life perception range, there was an unexpected movement, indicating that things were not over yet.


    A strange sensation swept through Quinn''s brain. He was extremely familiar with this aura¡ªit was the aura of the Mother Goddess!


    Was this a relic left by the Divine War... Quinn pondered the cause of the mutation. At this moment, a new mutation occurred.


    "Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!"


    On the deck, a pirate with a watermelon on his head ran by, a bright green vine connecting the watermelon to his head.


    Quinn''s gaze sharpened. He decided to meet up with Gelman and Frank first, sensing that a major event was about to unfold.


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    Quinn rushed to the other side of the deck. As he passed the pirate, he left a word:


    "Wait for your captain to solve the problem. If you don''t want to die, don''t open the watermelon."


    The panicked pirate quieted down upon hearing this, immediately holding the watermelon on his head, fearing any damage.


    "This is too crazy..."


    Anderson glanced at the watermelon on the pirate''s head, subconsciously touching his own head.


    The vines spawned by Frank gradually became active, moving consciously, attacking the pirates on the ship, with more vines growing out.


    "Frank!" Amidst the panic, Quinn, wearing a pristine bishop''s robe, soon spotted Frank and Gelman. He hurriedly shouted, "Don''t use any extraordinary abilities. The influence of the Mother Goddess still lingers here!"


    "Huh?" Frank was reaching for the materials in his belt pouch, but upon hearing this, he quickly withdrew his hand. Then, under Quinn''s speechless gaze, he suddenly knelt down on the ground, clasping his hands as if cradling a baby.


    "Merciful Mother!" Frank knelt down, continuously kissing the vines at his feet.


    This guy... goes dizzy at the mere mention of the Mother Goddess. Quinn thought helplessly.


    Inside the captain''s cabin of the "Future," Jadelya finally took action. A colorless flame fell on the vines, then spread rapidly.


    In the blink of an eye, the mutated vines covering the entire ship were burned to ashes. It seemed that the crisis had been resolved, but Quinn''s premonition only grew stronger.


    At this moment, a gigantic hand suddenly emerged from below the sea''s surface, slapping against the side of the "Future."


    This hand had abnormally long fingers, nearly half a meter long, and was entirely a desolate, black-gray color!


    "Damn, Anderson, you really are something!"


    Watching the successive events, Quinn couldn''t help but exclaim.


    Anderson shuddered. He felt Gelman Sparrow''s freezing gaze on him.


    The gigantic, gray-black hand grabbed the side of the ship and rapidly climbed upward, revealing the part below the sea surface inch by inch.


    Within the azure waves, a large area of gray-black shadow appeared, then was completely occupied by wriggling flesh.


    The monster seemed to be pieced together from countless gray-black corpses. Behind two huge hands were withered arms, which originated from a corpse that resembled a giant. The giant''s single eye was tightly closed, with several other heads attached to its neck, and those heads extended into scales, lizard-like carcasses, and twisted human bodies. Layer upon layer, they built a floating island of flesh.


    From different bodies, from the joints of the patchwork, yellow-green gas emanated, spreading outwards, seemingly shrouding the area.


    Cough! Cough!


    Upon smelling the faint odor, many sailors on the deck began to cough violently, bending over almost unable to stand.


    "I''ll deal with this monster. You guys go take care of the ordinary sailors."


    The poison gas emitted by the giant gradually spread across the "Future." If not resolved soon, more and more sailors would lose their lives, which was something a bishop of the Earth Mother was not willing to see.


    Quinn sighed, choosing not to use his own abilities, but merely raised the staff in his hand¡ªa cloth-wrapped staff¡ªlightly.


    Swish! Layers of white cloth burst apart and scattered, revealing a scythe nearly a meter long, with intricate and cold patterns engraved on it. "Cradle"! That was the name of this huge scythe.


    "Wow!" Anderson exclaimed in surprise, silently putting away the black short sword he had just taken out. He knew he wouldn''t need to take action anymore.


    The black flame silently ignited, surrounding Quinn and the putrid giant, forming a thin, indestructible barrier that separated the toxic mist from the sailors. Quinn''s rationality diminished little by little, while his madness increased, and the scythe emitted a chilling light. Quinn charged towards the decaying giant.


    This was the ability of the "Cradle," to construct a one-on-one space between the user and the chosen opponent, conducting an inescapable duel. In this life-and-death battle, successfully harming the enemy would provide a boost, while suffering damage would weaken the user until a victor was determined.


    At the same time, the "Cradle" bestowed upon the user incredibly enhanced physical qualities and caused the enemies they harmed to suffer double physical and mental damage, increasing the probability of losing control.


    The downside was that using it would greatly reduce rationality, causing Quinn to fall into unpredictable madness, which could last for minutes or even days.


    "I''ll use this to chop off your head!"


    Quinn rushed towards the railing, and with a leap, Anderson blinked, and Quinn appeared on top of one of the giant''s heads, raising the scythe high with both hands.


    Unable to escape for a while, the decaying

 Chapter 30: Mermaid

    "Die for me!"


    The blade chopped the last lump of flesh into pieces, turning into drifting ashes in the air. The massive undulating flesh island on the sea disappeared, leaving only a thick layer of gray-black ashes swirling and rolling in the waves.


    Quinn floated in the gray sea, many parts of his body missing, such as an eye, the entire left hand, and half of his abdomen. Intestines and other internal organs drifted uncontrollably away.


    Quinn worried that healing himself within the influence of the power of Mother Earth Goddess would bring some kind of mutation, so he could only remain in this state for now.


    "Ouch... it hurts QAQ." This feeling was really uncomfortable.


    The recovery ability of the original flesh giant was terrifying. Quinn could cut it into several pieces, but it would split into as many small giants. However, under the gradual weakening of the "cradle," the giant, which gradually lost its ability to proliferate, was eventually eliminated by "nature," becoming nourishment to enhance Quinn but still leaving him unable to use his abilities.


    More than ten minutes had passed since the appearance of the flesh giant, and Quinn was quietly waiting for the frenzy to dissipate.


    At this moment, a thin belt of light composed of tiny stars flew towards Quinn, carrying his broken body away from the sea surface and back to the captain''s room of the "Future."


    Standing in the captain''s room, wearing a black robe and exuding a calm and elegant aura, Jadelia stood holding the belt of light connecting her to Quinn. When Quinn fell back into the captain''s room, Jadelia sincerely thanked him:


    "Thank you for your help, Mr. Quinn."


    "The ''Future'' owes you one favor."


    "It''s nothing..."


    Although Quinn was a little happy, he still wanted to say: Can you help me heal? My intestines are still hanging out!


    "That..."


    "I understand."


    Before Quinn could speak, Jadelia waved her hand and scattered a dazzling stardust, which fell on Quinn. While his eyes were almost blinded by the brightness, Quinn found that the exaggerated wounds on his body had been healed.


    It still hurts... Quinn felt bitter, but he didn''t say it.


    Right now, he just wanted to get back to his room quickly and lie down until he left the range of Mother Goddess''s divine power, then quickly receive some... treatment.


    On the way back to his room, he saw Gelman Sparrow and Anderson Hood, both soaking wet. Gelman''s face was dark, as if someone owed him fifty-five thousand pounds. Anderson walked quietly towards the restaurant without saying a word.


    "Did you... go for a swim?" Quinn''s mind was still a bit crazy, so he was speaking a bit recklessly now.


    Gelman subtly glanced at the wounds on Quinn''s body, frowned slightly, and calmly said, "While you were fighting that monster, we encountered the ''Hell Admiral'' Ludvig again."


    "He attacked the ''Future'' and then ran away."


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    Wow, it''s one trouble after another. Quinn suddenly became curious about whether Anderson''s bad luck had any limits.


    Just as he was about to curse Anderson in his heart, suddenly, he saw Gelman walking towards him:


    "Hey, hey! What are you doing, that''s not okay!"


    Completely unexpected to Quinn, Gelman approached him calmly, and slowly, his hand touched Quinn''s body, moving flexibly on the surface of his skin.


    From the waist to the abdomen, from the arms to the face and shoulders, a strange tingling sensation came from the numb wounds, almost making Quinn unable to think about what was happening.


    "Gelman..."


    "It''s done."


    In the brief moment of astonishment for Quinn, Gelman withdrew his hand.


    "You... you, you, you...!!"


    Quinn pointed at Gelman, unable to form a complete sentence, and his feet twisted in excitement.


    Gelman looked at Quinn''s expression and paused for a second, seeming to understand something. He looked at Quinn helplessly:


    "Look at your wounds."


    "Ah?"


    Quinn also froze, subconsciously looking at the wounds on his chest and abdomen. He found that they were intact, and blinked his eyes. He found that his left eye had also regained its sight. There were new wounds on his shoulder and arm, but they were not dangerous.


    Is this... transferring damage?


    He gradually calmed down, but his face became redder and redder, like an eggplant roasted by Darniz.


    "Go ask Frank for a bottle of potion."


    Gelman walked past Quinn, who seemed to have been roasted, and slowly returned to his room.


    Quinn stood in the corridor, took a long time to come back to his senses.


    "Too... too..."


    Quinn unconsciously cursed in Chinese.


    Jadelia stood in the captain''s room, with the glass-made port window reflecting the starlight, which reflected the image of the corridor. Quinn and Gelman''s figures were clearly visible.


    The previous scene was replayed repeatedly, and Jadelia watched quietly. Slowly, she covered her face with her hands.


    "Hehehe..."


    ...


    After a while, the "Future," after recuperating, set sail again, breaking through the waves and leaving the range of Mother Earth Goddess''s divine power.


    Fully recovered, Quinn stared blankly at the sea, idly playing with his hair with his fingers. He wound his hair around his knuckles, gave it a gentle tug, and it broke in his palm.


    "Hmph..."


    He tossed it aside, and the verdant strands floated into the water, turning into a puddle of pus. Soon, a large school of fish floated belly-up to the surface.


    Suddenly, a faint and ethereal singing voice drifted from afar on the sea surface. The song was graceful and alluring, as if it could evoke the most primitive fantasies in one''s heart.


    Quinn propped his chin with one hand and raised his eyebrows:


    "Mermaid?"


    !


    Not far away on the deck, Gelman, who had changed his clothes, raised his head, seeming somewhat excited. He quickly walked back to his room, not knowing what he was going to do.


    Quinn curiously watched him walk back to the cabin, but stubbornly refused to follow and ask.


    Suddenly, he had a good idea.


    "Hi~"


    Quinn suddenly shouted towards the direction where the singing came from, while a gentle affinity spread out.


    ...!


    The singing in the distance abruptly stopped, occasionally there were fragments of sound carried by the sea breeze, as if chatting, then there were splashes of water, as if startled and fled.


    Not long after, in the seawater on one side of the "Future''s" hull, a wet little head suddenly emerged¡ªa young mermaid who looked like a human girl of thirteen or fourteen years old, but even more adorable.


    Quinn waved happily at her, and the little mermaid, imitating him, waved her small hand above the sea surface and gave Quinn a sweet smile, revealing a mouthful of immature little fangs.


    She''s so cute... Quinn covered his chest, feeling as if there were fluttering butterflies inside, stirred by the fallen goddess.


    Before Quinn could speak again, the little mermaid flicked her tail and disappeared into the sea.


    Shortly after, Gelman, who had removed one glove, leisurely returned to the deck, seemingly calmly looking at the distant sea breeze and waves.


    Quinn dashed over to him with a playful air of surprise. "Gelman! I just heard the mermaid''s song!"


    Before Gelman could respond, Quinn sighed regretfully to himself, "Unfortunately, I shouted once, and it seems they all swam away!"


    Gelman''s body stiffened.


    "Well, luckily, we can see them again," Quinn continued with a smile on his face.


    Gelman seemed uncomfortable leaning against the railing and slowly changed his posture.


    "As long as I use my ''Druid'' natural affinity, I don''t need to shout; they''ll come on their own!" Quinn exclaimed gleefully, running his fingers through his hair, feeling triumphant in teasing Gelman.


    As Quinn enjoyed the breeze, feeling pleased with himself, Gelman spoke calmly, "Come with me later."


    "Huh?" Quinn was stunned once again.

 Chapter T31 I Only Care About You, Gege~

    "Wait, quietly approach the shore. Don''t get too close, don''t fire your guns!"


    Quinn and Gehrman sat on the small boat, with Gehrman steering towards the direction of the mermaid''s song. Quinn reminded him, "I''ll use my ability to attract the mermaids, but whether they sing or not depends on their mood."


    "Got it?"


    Are you some kind of Japanese officer or something... Klein, disguised as Gehrman Sparrow, silently nodded.


    After a while, the boat reached the place where the singing was coming from. Gehrman took out a small bottle, while Quinn looked around and chuckled, "Heh heh... flower girls..."


    A gentle affinity radiated out, targeting only the mermaids to avoid attracting unwanted creatures.


    Splash, splash!


    One by one, wet figures emerged from the sea in the distance, revealing half of their bodies and curiously looking around.


    These creatures had human heads, their pure features tinged with a touch of allure. Their chests were prominently raised but covered with dark red scales. Their lower bodies were large fish tails, rhythmically moving in the water.


    Quinn leaned over the boat''s edge and cheerfully called out to them, "Ladies, how about a song?"


    As soon as he said this, his voice blended into the wind, transforming into a frequency incomprehensible to normal humans, and reached the mermaids.


    Along with the sound went an aura that made the mermaids drop their guard, making Quinn and Gehrman appear like two oddly shaped comrades.


    Splash, splash! The mermaids giggled, leaping onto the rocks, and began to sing in harmony, sending their ethereal melody to the travelers from afar.


    It really worked! Klein watched in amazement as Quinn chatted happily with the mermaids. He thought to himself: The circus could use someone like you!


    Not wasting any time, he immediately uncorked the bottle and drank the "Marionettist" potion inside.


    Quinn leisurely listened to the singing, watching Gehrman''s body slowly transform, his skin turning yellow-brown, tiny worm-like things writhing under his skin. He muttered to himself, "So ugly..."


    This comment also carried on the sea breeze to the rocks, where the mermaids glanced at Gehrman and nodded in agreement.


    Quinn couldn''t help but take another look at Gehrman, muttering again, "Really ugly..."


    "I heard that."


    "Whoa!"


    The aura of kinship disappeared instantly, and the mermaids plunged off the rocks in panic, diving back into the sea.


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    "Hey, um... Gehrman, you scared the mermaids away!"


    Quinn pretended to be angry, yelling at Gehrman.


    Gehrman didn''t respond, merely repeating coldly, "I heard that."


    "Okay, okay, you heard it..."


    Quinn''s feigned bravado quickly dissipated, and his voice involuntarily lowered.


    "Am I ugly?"


    A strange face suddenly approached, only a few centimeters from Quinn''s. Gehrman''s voice sounded in his ear.


    The unfamiliar, stunningly beautiful face before him appeared white and soft, tempting one to pinch it gently. Each feature seemed to fit perfectly with Quinn''s aesthetic, the hot breath on his face almost stopping his thoughts.


    After an unknown amount of time, Gehrman returned to his original position and resumed his normal appearance.


    Quinn snapped out of his daze, marveling at Gehrman''s face, "Gehrman, with a face like that, you could have countless rich people spending tens of thousands of pounds on you, just for your company at meals and parties."


    Tens of thousands of pounds... Klein admitted he was momentarily tempted. No, this is a matter of principles! In an instant, he extinguished the thought.


    Quinn continued, "It''s a pity, though. That aura is too cold."


    "Some rich people might like that kind of flavor, but men generally prefer a more feminine vibe."


    Gehrman, expressionless, steered the boat slowly towards the "Future." He stared at the turbulent sea, scoffing, "Then show me what feminine vibe is like."


    As soon as he said it, Klein regretted it.


    "Hmph..."


    "Gege, Gege~"


    As Quinn started speaking, a vast life force radiated out. Unlike the madness-inducing whispers, this alluring temptation stirred one''s soul. Just hearing it made Klein''s blood rush.


    "If you buy this for me, Mother Goddess won''t be angry, will she~"


    Playing some unknown role, Quinn took out a pink glass bottle, humorously decorated with a large heart. The bluish-purple liquid inside swirled gently.


    Quinn brought the bottle close to his lips but didn''t drink. He only pretended to gulp, "Glug, glug, delicious. Gehrman~ want a taste?"


    Klein''s body stiffened as he gripped the rudder, his mind a muddled mess, only hearing Quinn''s uncharacteristically gentle voice and the pink bottle getting closer.


    He managed to stutter, "What''s... that?"


    Quinn blinked and smiled, "Guess?"


    Klein turned away, choosing to refuse from his heart. He didn''t need to think to know it wasn''t something from the normal world.


    Quinn didn''t force Gehrman to drink the bluish-purple liquid. Instead, he continued to invade Gehrman''s mind. Every word carried a mysterious allure, driving one to madness:


    "Gege, you sail a little boat, taking me with you. If Ghadaliah finds out~ she won''t beat me, right!"


    "Your captain is scary, unlike me. I only care about Gege~"


    Despite each sentence being absurd and disgusting, they still made one irresistibly drawn in, eager to listen.


    Klein''s mind was almost captured, Quinn''s face seemed stunningly attractive, purer than any child, more tempting than any witch, awakening primal desires within him.


    "Stop...!"


    Just as he was about to lose control and do something, Quinn retracted his life domain.


    "How was it? Understand what aura is now~"


    Quinn threw a coquettish glance, smugly looking at Gehrman. But without the mysterious aura, Klein only felt a chill and disgust.


    Klein didn''t want to discuss this topic further to avoid any more outrageous actions from the demigod.


    He instinctively avoided Quinn''s gaze, asking, "What was that potion just now?"


    "Oh, that?" Quinn stuffed the glass bottle back into his pocket and casually said, "Just something that can turn you into a woman."


    What the hell! Klein couldn''t believe he was just a few centimeters away from losing his manhood.


    Klein shut his mouth, deciding he wouldn''t engage in any more dangerous interactions with this compatriot until they left the "Future."


    Not long after, their boat slowly returned to the "Future," where Frank, Anderson, and others were already waiting on the deck.


    What a mutually torturous trip... Klein grumbled in his mind.


    What an interesting trip! Quinn thought happily.


    Frank stood on the deck, holding a large green fish. He looked around, puzzled, and asked Anderson, "Hey, where''s the captain?"


    In the captain''s cabin of the "Future," all the curtains were drawn. Ghadaliah replayed the scenes from the small boat, almost laughing herself to tears.

 Chapter 32 Whoever Gives Milk is the Mother

    "Bye-bye!"


    Quinn, holding a suitcase in his left hand and clutching the large scythe "Cradle" under his arm, waved his free right hand in farewell to the departing "Future."


    Beside him, Gehrman and Anderson stood shoulder to shoulder. After a moment, Gehrman asked casually, "So, Quinn, where are you headed next?"


    "I...," Quinn scratched his head and thought for a moment, "I''m heading to Backlund. There are people from our church there."


    Gehrman was silent for a second, then said quietly, "I''ll remember how you helped me on this journey."


    "What?" Quinn pretended not to hear, cupping his ear, "What did you say?"


    Gehrman took a deep breath, turned his head, and ignored him.


    "If you really want to repay the favor..." Quinn smiled, "Help me find a way to remove the pollution. A more advanced method, preferably."


    Anderson was stunned, turning to look at Quinn in disbelief.


    In the depths of those calm, pool-like green eyes, there seemed to be an unrestrained beast barely contained.


    I actually... spent several days on the same ship with a semi-mad demigod, and I even provoked him! In that moment, Anderson suddenly realized the greatest danger had been right beside him all along!


    "No problem!"


    Anderson pounded his chest, agreeing without hesitation. At this moment, he even felt his luck wasn''t so bad after all.


    "Well then, see you next time?"


    Quinn looked at the receding and returning waves.


    "See you next time!"


    Three people, three paths, three unknown futures, temporarily parted ways here.


    ¡­


    A few days later, in Backlund, on Rose Street.


    "Wow... this thing looks just like a bicycle!"


    Stubbornly wearing his bishop''s robe, with his long green hair tied up high, Quinn looked in amazement at the changes in Backlund.


    In just a few short months, the ever-present gray-black smog in Backlund''s sky had visibly decreased, more children were playing in the streets, and the postmen were riding light bicycles, weaving through the streets.


    Rounding a few red-tiled houses, Quinn saw the golden spire of the Harvest Church.


    "Quinn!"


    He turned suddenly. Old Bob, dressed in worn military gear with graying whiskers on his face, was wobbling toward him.


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    "Old Bob!"


    Quinn''s face broke into a genuine smile of joy.


    Old Bob had come to Backlund from Bikini Beach to visit a friend, and Quinn hadn''t expected to run into him here.


    "What are you doing here?"


    Quinn asked curiously.


    "What do you mean!" Old Bob glared, "Just because I''m not here to borrow money from you doesn''t mean I can''t be here."


    "Is that so?"


    Quinn took out a small notebook, opened it to a page, and pointed to a line of writing:


    "Old Bob, you still owe me nineteen sullars!"


    "This..."


    Old Bob covered his face in dismay and replied, "Next time, I''ll pay it all back. This time, I''m here to buy medicine. The vampires at the Earth Mother Church here are as professional as Snow."


    "Medicine?" Quinn used his spiritual vision to scan Old Bob, then sensed his life aura, "Who''s the medicine for?"


    "For Old Kohler, sigh..."


    Old Bob sighed deeply and continued, "Ten years ago, seeing Old Kohler''s happy family, I never thought his fate would turn out like this..."


    "Recently, the work at the docks has gotten heavier, but the pay keeps dropping. Workers who can''t keep up are being pushed out by those young men who can work like crazy."


    "For a while, Old Kohler could follow a private detective and do some easy work. But unfortunately, that detective suddenly disappeared."


    "He had no choice but to return to the docks, competing for work with those desperate young men. Naturally, he slowly wore himself out. Luckily, I returned just in time this time."


    Quinn blinked, and the image of that patched, skinny, yet differently bright-eyed old man from the lower district immediately came to mind.


    "Didn''t I tell him not to stay in Backlund?" Quinn frowned lightly, "I should have had him move to Bikini Beach too, like Mrs. Leif and her family."


    "He said he wanted to thank that private detective, but he never found him, so he stayed in Backlund."


    "But this time, I''ll tie him up if I have to and take him back!"


    Old Bob''s scarred face trembled with excitement.


    "Since I''m here..."


    Quinn reached into his robe, pulled out a gray ceramic bottle from a hidden pocket, and handed it to Old Bob:


    "A Quinn product, guaranteed to be the best, absolutely effective."


    Old Bob hesitated for a moment, then took the bottle, gently stroking its smooth surface with his finger, and said gratefully:


    "Quinn, if there were more kids like you in this world, it would be a much better place!"


    "Not just two hundred people, even more wouldn''t have to live in the smog..."


    Quinn''s eyes darkened for a moment, his eyelids drooping.


    Old Bob quickly stopped talking, waving his hand hurriedly:


    "Well, I''ll thank you on Old Kohler''s behalf for your help!"


    As Old Bob slowly walked away, Quinn closed his eyes.


    Suddenly, he heard the seductive, maddening whispers in his ear again, teasing every strand of his emotions:


    "Futile..."


    "Futile..."


    "Shut up!"


    Damn, why now! Quinn clutched his head, cursing back at the whispers in his mind.


    Gradually, the whispers pried open Quinn''s tightly closed heart, delving into his spirit, digging up scenes painted in despair and sorrow.


    "You can''t do anything..."


    Painful memories were uprooted, leaving Quinn helplessly watching those images:


    A child futilely digging through the rubble of a house;


    A boy being bullied by sneering teenagers;


    A youth called "crazy" by the townspeople;


    A young man wandering and weeping among corpses in the smog;


    Scene after scene was unearthed, leaving Quinn no escape, until the seductive, warm whispers returned:


    "Return... to the mother''s embrace..."


    "I... I..."


    At the slightest fluctuation of his spirit, the Fallen Mother instantly acted, her pollution silently seeping in from the starry sky.


    "Sigh..."


    A deep sigh echoed from the nearby Harvest Church, cleansing Quinn''s spirit. In an instant, he felt weightless, as if falling into a mother''s embrace.


    The illusory whispers dissipated unwillingly, leaving Quinn dazed on the ground, passersby looking at him with both fear and concern.


    "Damn, the Fallen Mother really is insidious..."


    Quinn slowly stood up, patting the dust off his pants.


    He looked at the golden Harvest Church and drew a heart on his chest:


    "The Earth Mother is always divine!"


    Not far away, Old Bob was peeking from behind a wall, only relaxing when he saw Quinn stand up:


    "This kid really has a lot of bad luck..."

 Chapter 33 Joint Action

    "Bishop Quinn!"


    Bishop Utravsky stood up abruptly, and the congregation in the church followed suit, all eyes filled with delight as they gazed at the figure standing in the doorway.


    These congregation members were mostly people whom Quinn had saved during the Great Smog of Backlund.


    Why is everyone looking at me... Quinn felt a bit embarrassed by the enthusiastic gazes of the congregation and quickly ran over to Father Utravsky, whispering,


    "Is there something on my face? Why are they all looking at me?"


    Utravsky looked momentarily puzzled before replying with a hint of resignation,


    "Bishop Quinn, these are the people you rescued and brought back to the Harvest Church last time."


    "Ah? Oh!"


    Quinn recalled that during the Great Smog event, she had overused her healing abilities and almost lost control, only to be forcibly knocked unconscious by Father Utravsky. When she woke up, she was on Bikini Beach, unaware of what had happened to the patients she had treated.


    "Um..."


    Quinn hid behind a pillar to avoid the fervent gazes of the congregation. Standing on tiptoe, she whispered into Father Utravsky''s ear,


    "Father, I''m here to discuss a mission with you."


    Father Utravsky bent down to listen, nodded, and said,


    "Bishop Quinn, that''s exactly what I was hoping for."


    ---


    Later, in the basement of Harvest Church in Backlund


    "Emlyn, you wait outside for a moment."


    Inside the room, a black-haired priest, staring at a pale candelabrum in his hand, jumped in surprise. He instinctively grabbed a cloth to wipe it, then realized what he was doing.


    Emlyn glanced at Quinn, who was also wearing a bishop''s robe, his gaze lingering on Quinn''s verdant hair for a moment before nodding and stepping out, closing the door behind him.


    Quinn noticed Emlyn''s blood-red eyes and curiously asked,


    "That kid... is he a vampire like Snow?"


    "It''s the Blood Race! The noble Blood Race!"


    An indignant voice came from outside the door.


    Quinn couldn''t help but laugh and turned to Father Utravsky,


    "This kid is much more interesting than Snow."


    What''s so "interesting"... Emlyn thought indignantly as he listened from outside.


    Inside the room, once Emlyn''s presence had receded, Quinn regained a serious demeanor and addressed the much taller Father Utravsky,


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    "The last operation alarmed the Rose School of Thought. They''ve abandoned most of their rural bases and shifted to more populated areas."


    "Although the risk of detection has increased, they now have many more ordinary civilians as hostages."


    "Intelligence shared by the Church of the Night and the Church of Steam and Machinery indicates that there have been sightings of Rose School activity in the southern part of the Backlund Bridge area, which is our jurisdiction."


    "Our task is simple: take the Night Watchers and the Heart of Mechanics, and eliminate them. Each church will send a team led by a Sequence Five to support us."


    "The fact that the Rose School can operate stealthily in Backlund means they must have Sequence Five or higher Beyonders among them, so we must be very cautious in this operation."


    "Since there are only the two of us bishops in Ruen, we lack additional personnel, so I will lead the operation myself."


    "Once successful, the Mother Goddess... uh, will reward us generously. Do you understand?"


    "Yes, Bishop Quinn."


    Father Utravsky paused, then added,


    "Bishop Quinn, I am already a Sequence Five Guardian."


    "Great, that will significantly increase our safety in this operation."


    Quinn stood on tiptoe and patted Father Utravsky''s sturdy chest with satisfaction.


    ---


    Under the red moonlight, in Emlyn White''s now accustomed gaze, Father Utravsky, carrying an object the size of a door, and the comparatively petite Quinn exited the Harvest Church.


    They wore simple brown linen shirts and thick, belted trousers, looking like two farmers entering the city. They walked through the deserted streets to one end of the Backlund Bridge.


    Knock, knock, knock. At the red-painted wooden door, Quinn knocked three times in a short-long-short pattern.


    A raspy voice came from inside,


    "Who?"


    "From Chavas Metering."


    Suppressing a laugh, Quinn replied calmly.


    Creak¡ªthe door opened.


    "Welcome."


    Inside, the teams from the two churches were already waiting.


    The Night Watchers, sitting on the sofa, wore long black coats. Their leader had deep eyes like ocean whirlpools and an aura as silent as the night.


    Around the dining table, the Heart of Mechanics team sat in a circle. Their leader wore glasses and looked like a scholar, yet carried a heavy ammunition box and a bizarrely shaped rifle.


    To avoid civilian casualties, all three churches took the operation seriously, evidenced by Quinn, a demigod, leading the charge.


    Having taken a bottle of "Courage Potion," Quinn boldly walked to the center of the room, saluted, and addressed the assembled Beyonders,


    "Now that everyone is here, let''s confirm our plan one last time."


    "Night Watchers, your task is to seal off the streets and protect the residents."


    "Heart of Mechanics, you will wait for the signal and provide long-range support."


    "We will handle the assault on the base and elimination of the main force."


    "Any questions?"


    "No!" both teams replied in unison.


    "Great." Quinn made an inexplicable gesture with her fingers, then quietly led the towering Father Utravsky out of the house.


    ---


    Under the crimson moonlight shining directly on the southern district of Backlund Bridge, there was not a breath of wind.


    At some point, several figures in long black coats appeared on the streets. They moved silently among the houses, leaving a trail of tranquility, weaving a vast web of slumber.


    On the rooftops, a few scholar-like figures, fully armed and carrying exaggerated ammunition boxes and firearms, crawled stealthily among the corrugated roofs.


    In the Heart of Mechanics team, a young, scholarly-looking member whispered to the professor-like captain,


    "Captain..."


    "What is it?"


    The Heart of Mechanics team all turned to look.


    The young member hesitated, then continued nervously,


    "Was the person who just spoke the demigod leading this operation?"


    "Sigh, this is not the time for irrelevant questions!"


    The team captain, slightly relaxed, reprimanded the young member softly, then nodded,


    "Yes."


    "Why do I feel like it''s not..."


    The young member murmured. Another member joked,


    "If every demigod wore ''demigod'' on their face, our investigations wouldn''t be so difficult."


    "But!" the young member raised his voice unconsciously before lowering it again, "But... his demeanor... how to put it, reminds me of a classmate from my university."


    "So, what do you mean by that?"


    The joking member was puzzled.


    "I don''t know," the young member shook his head, "It''s just that my classmate was expelled for disguising as a girl to sneak into a strictly supervised girls'' dormitory."


    "I''m just curious how a demigod from the Earth Mother Church will infiltrate the Rose School''s base..."

 Chapter 34 Quinns Infiltration

    Under the night-shrouded sky of Backlund, the crimson moonlight shone silently. In the southern district, the Evernight Guardians considerately closed the doors and windows of each household, while the Heart of Mechanics team focused all their attention on the deserted streets.


    Tap, tap, tap. The sporadic yet soft footsteps broke the silence as a figure appeared in the sewage-laden alley, seemingly avoiding something.


    Thud, thud, thud. The urgent and heavy footsteps followed closely behind, always appearing precisely five meters away, no matter where the light footsteps went.


    "Someone, please help me... someone, please help me!"


    A girl with flowing emerald hair was running aimlessly. She bit her lower lip tightly, tears welling up in her slightly red eyes. The tall pursuer seemed hidden behind her, and she appeared to be in a state of despair.


    Bang! Her head collided with a hard chest.


    The girl looked up in surprise. Under the red moon, she saw a man with a wild beard and thick hair.


    In an instant, disappointment, panic, and hope flashed across her eyes. Finally, with a hint of hope, she whispered to the man:


    "Sir... someone is chasing me. Can you help me?"


    "Help you?" The man grinned bloodthirstily, his eyes filled with undisguised desire. "Sure, but... you need to cooperate."


    "No!"


    Amidst her despair, she was struck unconscious and fell into the hairy man''s arms.


    Thud, thud, thud. The tall, sturdy man rushed out, surprised and angry:


    "Hand her over to me!"


    The rough-looking man glanced at the other''s height with a hint of disdain in his eyes:


    "Fusac fool, if you don''t want to become my slave, get back to the north!"


    As he spoke, his left hand''s nails turned black and elongated into five deep black claws!


    "You... you... damn it!"


    The tall man retreated instinctively upon seeing the claws, hesitating and reluctant, his gaze fixed on the girl. Finally, he cursed angrily and turned to run away.


    As the heavy footsteps faded, the rough-looking man relaxed. He turned the girl over, her delicate features facing him.


    He was stunned for a moment, examining her from head to toe, finally smacking his lips and muttering:


    "Nice taste."


    "Too bad I can''t enjoy it alone..."


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    He took a deep, greedy breath, hoisted the girl over his shoulder, and swiftly disappeared into the alley.


    In the darkness, the girl''s face revealed a triumphant smile mingled with unparalleled disdain.


    ...


    On the rooftop, the Heart of Mechanics team watched in astonishment.


    "Is this their method of infiltration? If that bishop weren''t good-looking, it probably wouldn''t have worked at all!"


    The joking team member couldn''t help but mutter to himself.


    The young team member asked:


    "With that demi-god as bait, why bring another bishop?"


    The scholarly-looking team leader, a Sequence Five "Mystical Teacher," spoke while observing:


    "Harl, that''s experience."


    "In the face of obvious threats, people often overlook the hidden dangers around them. Unfortunately, the members of the Rose School of Thought won''t understand this."


    "Right!" The joking team member laughed. "Their extraordinary sequences doom them to being insane from the start."


    A usually silent team member spoke up:


    "I think that demi-god is actually enjoying himself."


    ...


    After a while, the rough-looking man carried the girl, making several turns before entering an ordinary house.


    He walked to the center of the room, pried open a wooden plank, revealing a staircase below, marked with desperate claw marks.


    Following the blood-stained steps, he arrived at a basement engraved with bloody, mysterious patterns. A crimson altar was set up, surrounded by several robed figures, one of whom stood out for his silence and puppet-like demeanor.


    "Victor, where''s the sacrifice?"


    The man called Victor suppressed his desire to possess the girl and threw her to the ground in front of him, lifting his chin slightly:


    "Here it is."


    The questioning robed figure glanced at her and exclaimed in amazement:


    "Damn, top-quality!"


    To be precise, top-quality makeup... which I refined! Quinn silently retorted.


    With a bit of makeup, he became the most likely target for an attack at night. In the face of the obviously formidable Father Utravsky, ordinary thugs would back off, but only the members of the Rose School of Thought would dare to snatch prey from a tiger''s mouth.


    Quinn fully suppressed his abnormal life force, aided by some alchemical tools, allowing him to hide his presence even from potential demi-gods.


    The puppet-like robed figure silently crouched down, his invasive gaze scanning the girl''s tightly knit brows, thin lips, delicate collarbones, and not-so-prominent body... the "anti-detection" makeup had cost Quinn quite a bit.


    Including Victor, the robed figures held their breath, nervously observing the expression of the crouched figure, while Quinn dared not even breathe heavily.


    Finally, a rasping sound came from the crouched figure. He nodded:


    "Acceptable."


    "That''s good!"


    With a crisp cheer, the robed figures exhaled collectively. Then they realized: who just shouted that?


    The puppet-like robed figure jolted, about to shout. The petite girl suddenly opened her eyes, giving him a sweet, heart-stopping smile:


    "Translate this."


    Translate what? The robed figure couldn''t process it, and then a sweeping kick from the girl "opened up" his "mind."


    Bang!!!


    The puppet-like robed figure flew back, smashing through the altar. A ghastly, exaggerated blood hole appeared on his head, with vines inscribed with sinister patterns rapidly growing, devouring the wriggling gray brain.


    "Ahhh!!!"


    The real, brain-piercing pain, coupled with Quinn''s implanted madness and mutation, caused the puppet-like robed figure to temporarily lose his sanity, convulsing on the ground.


    It hurts! Quinn got up, discreetly wiping away the tears of pain. His left leg''s broken tibia instantly healed.


    Amid the agonizing screams, Quinn tilted his head slightly, smiling at the panicking, transforming robed figures:


    "Translate this... what is surprise?"


    With that, Quinn activated the mechanism in his fingers.


    In the distance, on the rooftop, the Heart of Mechanics team received Quinn''s signal:


    "Paratrooper One, Quinn Benwei, ready!"


    Along with the cryptic signal, they also got Quinn''s location.


    "Got it!"


    The Heart of Mechanics team members pulled out their rifles and heavy weapons, aiming at an inconspicuous house, the Rose School of Thought''s base.


    The team leader''s wise, slightly aged face showed a grin ready for a firepower barrage:


    "Fire!"

 Chapter 35

    "Fire!"


    The bullets, shining with spiritual light, whistled through the night sky. In just a moment, bullets worth hundreds of pounds were spent.


    "Don''t even think about running!"


    In the basement, Quinn stomped his foot hard, and vines engraved with cold, eerie patterns shot up from the ground, tightly wrapping around the legs of the black-robed figures.


    The highest-ranking black-robed figure continued to wail, but the gaping hole in his head was rapidly healing, with only Quinn''s corruption still entangling him.


    In an instant, the candlesticks, daggers, tables, and chairs in the basement came to life, hurling themselves at Quinn with a sharp whistling sound.


    "Father!"


    Boom!


    The door was smashed open, the door panel hitting Victor, who was crawling towards the door, squarely on the head. Despairingly, he saw the towering, lamp-post-like man appear in the doorway, holding a giant sword as large as Victor himself, and swing it down hard on him.


    Swish! The despairing head rolled away, and the priest kicked it aside, his body radiating a pure, dazzling light¡ª


    "Guard!"


    The light simultaneously rose from Quinn, significantly reducing the damage caused by the flying objects. Both the priest and Quinn grunted in pain, seemingly sharing the damage between them.


    Under the flickering green glow, their injuries healed instantly. Quinn dashed towards the priest, shouting:


    "Time to go!"


    The priest understood immediately, grabbing Quinn with one hand and thundering up the stairs and out of the house.


    Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!


    As they stepped out of the house, it seemed like a colorful meteor shower rained down from the sky. The violent hail of bullets engulfed the hideout, the multicolored enchanted light deeply etched into their eyes.


    The house was destroyed in an instant, but not a sound was heard. The Night Watchers had prepared for this; everything was to be done in silence.


    Quinn and Father Utravsky waited tensely, Quinn tightly clutching three "Gan III" steel golem dolls in his hand.


    "Ahhhh!"


    A piercing, crazed scream erupted from below, their brains felt like they had been hit hard, and blood flowed from their mouths and noses (Quinn''s blood was light green).


    Why scream so loudly... Quinn wiped the blood from his nose, healing both himself and the priest, as a giant scythe unfolded from his hand. He fixed his gaze on the ruins of the house.


    From the silently burning wreckage, three figures slowly emerged from the flames, all heavily wounded but rapidly healing. The headless black-robed leader now wore a blank expression, but his eyes burned with a raging madness.


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    Hmm... Quinn quickly pulled out a bottle of strong tranquilizer and took it, then grabbed an alloy syringe and administered a dose of enhancement potion to Father Utravsky.


    Another wave of bullets came, and the puppet-like black-robed man casually waved his hand. The enchanted bullets seemed to gain consciousness, avoiding the black-robed figures and targeting Quinn instead.


    This bullet manipulation ability was something Quinn was very familiar with; it was the power of a Sequence Four "Puppet" from the Prisoner pathway! Additionally, a "Puppet" could kill enemies silently through various eerie curses!


    Outnumbered but not outmatched... Vines surged from the ground, forming a hard iron wall to block the incoming bullet rain.


    Swish! The giant scythe unfolded its blade, and Quinn quickly singled out the "Puppet" black-robed man as his opponent. A black wall of flames rose between them, creating a one-on-one combat space.


    As the flames ascended, Quinn threw out two steel golems and shouted to the priest:


    "Take care of the other two!"


    Father Utravsky responded with action, charging towards the enemies that resembled living corpses and ghosts, accompanied by the two golems that had rapidly grown to three meters tall.


    "¡­"


    The puppet-like black-robed man''s expression remained calm, but his eyes were wild as he raised his hand, smearing Quinn''s light green blood from his head, and then clenched it tightly!


    Damn it! Quinn cursed himself for being careless. He felt an inexplicable connection between them, as if any harm the "Puppet" took would be transferred to him as well.


    "The Mother Goddess doesn''t like naughty children..."


    Muttering this, he summoned countless vines that surged towards the "Puppet" black-robed man, seemingly unconcerned about trading injury for injury.


    The "Puppet" black-robed man''s expression tightened, his form turning into an invisible shadow that penetrated the tidal wave of vines, rushing straight at Quinn!


    As the distance between them rapidly closed, it seemed like the "Puppet" black-robed man could reach out and crush Quinn''s neck, taking his head.


    Suddenly, he stopped his motion, retreating abruptly¡ª


    "Ah~ so scary~"


    Quinn''s expression was panicked, but his words made the "Puppet" black-robed man feel both nauseated and alarmed. Quinn had pulled out a pitch-black orb from behind him and shouted:


    "Eat my Mind Pollution Bomb!"


    With that, he smashed it at his feet. It was too late for the "Puppet" to retreat... In an instant, the violently exploding mental wave engulfed them both...


    This is... The "Puppet" black-robed man opened his eyes wide, memories of most of his life flashing before his eyes, making him dizzy.


    Suddenly, he found himself in a familiar yet strange room, lying on a steel bed with heavy iron chains binding his limbs. He felt weak and completely naked.


    A burly man wearing a deep, dark hood sat by the bed, staring at him intently.


    This scene deeply pierced the "Puppet" black-robed man''s spirit. He shouted in disbelief and terror:


    "Dak Holm, how are you here?! I tore you to pieces and ground you into meat paste!"


    "Oh..." The man smiled with a smoked meat scent, "Sweetie, I''ve always lived in your heart..."


    Saying this, he leaned down, gently caressing the black forest-like hairy chest, and pressed down on him...


    No! No! No!!!


    The "Puppet" black-robed man screamed in despair and helplessness, veins bulging on his ferocious face. At this moment, he felt his pitch-black, filthy soul being polluted by an even deeper darkness...


    On the other side, Quinn opened his eyes.


    A degenerate Mother Goddess, waving tentacles covered with swollen eyes, appeared before him, "seductively" moving her bloated, oozing body, step by step towards him.


    Though the scene was unbearable to watch, Quinn knew this was the effect of his "Mind Pollution Bomb," worth ten thousand gold pounds, capable of affecting high-sequence beings.


    Even so, Quinn''s eyes were stung. He turned his head and closed his eyes, speaking the Chinese command to dispel the illusion:


    "Ugly reject!"


    The seductive degenerate Mother Goddess unwillingly dissipated, and before him appeared the "Puppet" black-robed man. He had his eyes tightly shut, his face showing an unclear expression of pain or enjoyment.


    To free him from his suffering, Quinn raised his giant scythe¡ª


    "Head off~"


    The "Puppet" black-robed man suddenly awoke from the nightmare but found his perspective had inexplicably inverted.


    A pair of small feet, standing on some muck, slowly approached, exuding a faint, elegant fragrance of grass and trees. The perspective was lifted, and he saw that pure, sweet face.


    Her mouth opened and closed, with an innocent smile, making him instinctively want to listen:


    "Damn, you really are tough."


    "Go eat shit!"


    In an instant, he felt like he was falling into an abyss, then he realized the world had suddenly split into two halves.

 Chapter 36 The Quiet Mother Goddess

    ¡°Wow, what the heck is this thing¡­¡±


    Quinn felt a headache coming on. The situation hadn''t improved after he chopped off the puppet''s head; it had only become more troublesome.


    The "puppet" black-robed man''s head was gone, but his body seemed disoriented, jumping around inside the barrier and letting out an occasional howl that caused even stronger mental attacks.


    Quinn knew instantly¡ªthis thing was about to lose control. If he didn¡¯t act quickly, the situation would get even uglier¡ªin other words, this boss had a second form.


    What comforted him was that without the interference of this demigod, the remaining Extraordinary members of the Rose School had been dealt with by the support of the Mechanical Heart team.


    However, due to the special nature of the ¡°Cradle,¡± they couldn¡¯t pass through its flame barrier to assist Quinn until the ¡°Cradle¡± determined the victor.


    ¡°Now what¡­¡±


    The ¡°headless¡± puppet was getting increasingly agitated, its body gradually transforming into a massive puppet entwined with vines. Curses burst forth aimlessly, creating a suffocating pressure.


    Quinn rummaged through his pocket and pulled out his last iron golem, infusing it with spirituality.


    ¡°Go!¡±


    The iron golem expanded on the spot, transforming into a three-meter-tall iron colossus, lunging at the struggling and howling ¡°headless¡± puppet.


    The now gigantic ¡°headless¡± puppet was entangled. Its ability to manipulate inanimate objects was ineffective against the golem since it was composed of broken spirits, making it half-alive.


    The wooden body of the ¡°headless¡± puppet slowly grew tough bristles, its hands gradually turning into claws, frost creeping across the ground. The iron golem was struggling to hold it off, and Quinn couldn''t hesitate any longer.


    Taking three steps in two, he charged into the sea of curses, repeatedly healing himself from random injuries like fractured skulls and knotted blood vessels, until he leaped onto the neck of the ¡°headless¡± puppet.


    By then, the iron golem was on the verge of disintegration.


    Viciously plunging the Cradle¡¯s scythe into the ¡°headless¡± puppet¡¯s spine, Quinn braced himself for its frantic retaliation, readying his next move.


    He grinned,


    ¡°Here, taste my French kiss!¡±


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    Smack! Smack! Quinn bent down swiftly, both arms plunging into the flesh surrounding the ¡°headless¡± puppet¡¯s spine.


    While trying to control the monster''s mind to reduce its madness, he also spurred the growth of endless vines, which began to rampantly expand within the puppet''s body.


    ¡°Waaaaa¡ª¡±


    The piercing wail, like a baby¡¯s cry, struck Quinn''s spirit like a heavy hammer, and he vaguely heard the illusionary murmurs of the Fallen Mother Goddess again.


    ¡°Classic two-slices-of-bread-and-cheese corruption... good thing I¡¯m used to it!¡±


    Forcing himself to focus, he meticulously nurtured the vines.


    Wherever the cold, malevolent vines spread, the puppet¡¯s flesh dissolved, feeding the vines which swelled further. The monster seemed to become nutrients for the vines'' growth.


    ¡°Good child¡­ good child¡­ damn brat! Stop crying!¡±


    As the limbs broke and reformed, the puppet¡¯s retaliations grew fiercer. Quinn gradually closed his eyes, quietly feeling the struggles beneath him weaken.


    Until only the skeletal frame and the entwined vines of the colossal puppet remained, Quinn finally ceased the growth, and the Cradle¡¯s black flame barrier dissipated into the air.


    Father Utravsky cautiously approached, still maintaining a certain distance.


    ¡°Phew¡­ should be over, right?¡±


    Quinn leaped off, landing on his back, seemingly with no intention of landing safely.


    Father Utravsky hurried over to catch him, giving the playful bishop a helpless look.


    After healing them both, Quinn waited for the Extraordinary characteristics of the demigod¡¯s ¡°puppet¡± to condense, forming a blood-red ball of light.


    By then, the Mechanical Heart and Night Watcher teams had arrived.


    ¡°Stay away from the skeleton and the nearby head; there might still be curses on them.¡±


    Quinn warned them before turning his gaze to the demigod''s skeletal remains still standing:


    ¡°Leaving it like this seems like a waste, we¡¯re already here¡­¡±


    With a wave of his hand, the vines rapidly expanded, continuing to proliferate wildly, slowly re-covering the demigod¡¯s skeleton, forming a headless vine giant exuding strong curse energy.


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t leave.¡±


    Quinn grabbed the departing spirit of the black-robed puppet, ignoring its desperate and angry wails, tearing it into many broken soul fragments.


    ¡°Might as well make a golem; seems fitting.¡±


    Quinn, like a child finding a new toy, kneaded the spirit fragments, while the others saw him seemingly playing with the air. In reality, Quinn was molding the broken spirit into a shape suitable for the demigod golem¡¯s body.


    ¡°Captain, what¡¯s he doing?¡±


    A Night Watcher team member whispered curiously. The Night Watcher captain squinted at Quinn''s hands, then exclaimed in disbelief,


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ the spirit of the Rose School¡¯s demigod! He¡¯s manipulating the demigod¡¯s spirit!¡±


    The Mechanical Heart team leader adjusted his glasses, astonished:


    ¡°A demigod-level golem¡­¡±


    After a while, Quinn stopped, looking troubled at the now still spirit, scratching his head.


    ¡°The spirit seems too weak, dissipating too quickly¡­¡±


    Then, to everyone''s disbelief, he drove his fingernails into his skull, tearing off a piece of his own soul!


    Quinn kneaded the soul fragment into his palm, blending the ferocious, polluted spirit with his own calm, corrupted soul until it formed a stable soul cluster.


    ¡°There, that should do it!¡±


    Seemingly unfazed by the soul-deep pain, he tossed the soul cluster into the cursed golem¡¯s body.


    After a moment, the golem emanated a lifelike aura, its curse energy spreading like liquid over the southern part of Backlund Bridge.


    To him, everything seemed perfectly normal, but the other Extraordinary members were all silent.


    After a while, sensing the atmosphere, he turned around, confused at the quiet group:


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    His expression slightly out of control, he appeared to be trying to convey his confusion.


    Father Utravsky sighed inwardly, feeling the scene was oddly familiar.

 Chapter 37 Why Sleep So Long in Life?

    Time seemed to freeze, and no one spoke.


    Quinn glanced at everyone¡¯s expressions, then at his own hands, seemingly understanding something.


    He quickly pulled out a glass bottle filled with a deep black liquid and drank it in one gulp, urgently saying to Father Utravsky:


    ¡°Back¡­ to Harvest Church!¡±


    As soon as he said this, Quinn blacked out, both his body and spirit falling into slumber.


    The Fallen Mother Goddess¡¯s corruption was silent and swift, instantly affecting Quinn¡¯s thoughts, costing him a piece of his soul.


    However, before the eradication operation, Quinn had prepared for the possible invasion of the Fallen Mother Goddess.


    The potion he just drank could make an unprepared demigod fall asleep instantly, like a programmer staying up all night for a week, with a high chance of not waking up.


    This method could prevent the Fallen Mother Goddess from using her mental pollution to further control Quinn''s actions and threaten those around him.


    But Quinn wasn¡¯t worried about not waking up. In a few days, it would be Monday, and he could seek help from ¡°The Fool¡± at the weekly Tarot Club meeting.


    The Night Watchers and Mechanical Heart members remained vigilant, watching as the demigod seemingly controlled his own corruption, all breathing a sigh of relief.


    In that brief moment, they had felt despair¡ªif an Extraordinary who could easily hunt down a demigod ¡°puppet¡± lost control, not just them, but the entire block wouldn¡¯t survive.


    The demigod-level cursed golem, now without a controller, shrank to a palm-sized doll and crawled into Quinn¡¯s robe.


    Father Utravsky carefully picked up the demigod¡¯s Extraordinary characteristic, sealing it in an iron box with spirituality, then hoisted the slumbering Quinn onto his shoulder.


    He addressed the other official Extraordinary members:


    ¡°You guys collect the remaining materials and decide how to split them yourselves.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take Bishop Quinn back for treatment.¡±


    The Mechanical Heart team nodded and swiftly began cleaning up the battlefield; the Night Watchers lifted the blockade on the neighborhood, disguising the battlefield as a fire scene.


    ---


    A few days later, at Harvest Church in Backlund


    ¡°Where¡¯s Quinn? Where is he?¡±


    The door was pushed open as Snow, having received the news, hurried over from Bikini Beach.


    Father Utravsky, quietly praying under the divine emblem, stood up and said to Snow:


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    ¡°Brother Snow, Bishop Quinn is in the basement receiving treatment. I¡¯ll take you there.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Snow, panting, just wanted to see Quinn as soon as possible.


    Passing through the nave, descending the stairs, and opening the basement room, Snow saw Quinn lying on a bed, with another black-haired, red-eyed cleric attending to him.


    ¡°Father.¡± Emlyn looked up and shook his head, ¡°We¡¯ve tried every medication, but nothing works.¡±


    At this moment, Snow wanted to slap Quinn; every time they eradicated the Rose School, he ended up in such a sorry state. In the future, Quinn should be put on a leash.


    Quinn¡¯s eyes were tightly shut, his brows slightly furrowed, hands crossed over his abdomen, as if experiencing a nightmare.


    In fact, he was.


    ¡°Quinn, damn it, give me a straightforward answer: surrender or not!¡±


    In the mental space, the Fallen Mother Goddess was gradually corrupting Quinn¡¯s spirit while furiously shouting.


    ¡°You are my ancestor, I don¡¯t surrender. Are you going to screw yourself?!¡±


    Quinn stubbornly resisted, trying to keep his mind from shattering, occasionally retorting at the Fallen Mother Goddess.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t surrender, your ancestor will screw you! If you do, you¡¯ll screw your ancestor!¡±


    The Fallen Mother Goddess, unconcerned with mortal ethics, relentlessly attacked Quinn both verbally and mentally.


    ¡°I won¡¯t surrender, absolutely not!¡±


    ¡°Overconfident!¡±


    ¡°Pah, you lust after my body, you filthy!¡±


    ¡°Your life was given by me!¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m going to be an unfilial son for once!¡±


    In Quinn¡¯s view, the Fallen Mother Goddess couldn¡¯t physically or spiritually harm him because she couldn¡¯t make Quinn chant her name to establish a connection.


    The Fallen Mother Goddess could only confront Quinn in his mental space through the remaining corruption in his body.


    As long as Quinn could hold on until the Tarot Club meeting, everything would be over.


    ---


    Rain drizzled on the streets, and a carriage moved leisurely down Rose Street. Dawn Dantes sat in the carriage, looking at the golden spire of Harvest Church through the rain mist.


    He murmured silently:


    ¡°It¡¯s worrying, how to make money¡­¡±


    ¡°Sometimes, I really envy Quinn¡­¡±


    ---


    A few days later, above the gray fog.


    ¡°The Fool¡± Klein tapped the red stars of ¡°Justice,¡± ¡°The Queen,¡± ¡°The Hanged Man,¡± and other members, and figures appeared in the grand palace.


    ¡°Blah blah blah¡­¡±


    As Quinn¡¯s consciousness was about to dissipate, he suddenly felt his awareness rising, the corruption from the Fallen Mother Goddess peeling away, blocked by the endless gray fog.


    Gratefully, he glanced at ¡°The Fool¡± seated at the head, whether or not the mysterious existence noticed.


    ¡°Good afternoon, Mr. Fool~¡±


    ¡°Justice¡± stood up and bowed lightly, and ¡°The Fool¡± nodded in response.


    Quinn¡¯s consciousness was still somewhat hazy, akin to attending a political class after an all-night gaming session.


    He vaguely saw ¡°The Hermit¡± handing over a diary of Emperor Roselle, then ¡°The Magician¡± raised a question, and after ¡°The Fool¡± answered, the Tarot Club members seemed very shocked.


    Only when ¡°The Fool¡± indicated the start of the trading session did Quinn muster some energy.


    He slowly raised his hand and said:


    ¡°Um¡­ I have some items for sale¡­¡±


    ¡°Justice¡± Audrey sensed something wrong with ¡°The Queen¡¯s¡± tone, casting a worried look at Quinn¡¯s spot:


    Mr. Queen doesn¡¯t look well¡ªevery Tarot Club meeting, Mr. Queen seems to display different mental symptoms. Are all demigods this exhausted¡­ ¡°Justice¡± Audrey thought with concern and longing.


    ¡°I have an Extraordinary characteristic of Sequence 4 ¡®Puppet,¡¯ with a bit of mental pollution.¡±


    ¡°The Moon¡± Emlyn¡¯s pupils contracted, then he seemed to understand: green long hair, Harvest Church vestments, ¡®Puppet¡¯ characteristic¡­ he was almost certain Mr. Queen was the demigod in the basement, Quinn Fleur!


    ¡°And¡­ some golems that can follow commands and have combat abilities comparable to some Sequence 7 Extraordinary.¡±


    Quinn¡¯s voice was soft, almost dreamy, making the Tarot Club members fall into deep thought.


    The Sequence 4 ¡°Puppet¡± Extraordinary characteristic? Miss Sharron might need it, but what happened to Quinn again?


    Klein first considered the items Quinn was selling, then noticed Quinn¡¯s obviously abnormal mental state, feeling instinctively worried.


    ¡°Also, one more thing¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve run into some trouble, and the real-world me has fallen asleep. Can any of you wake me up?¡±


    Is it¡­ sleeping too soundly to wake up? Klein thought instinctively.