After Du Yun and Jiang Xing left, Xia Jienan took the initiative to seek out the butler. With a slightly nervous expression, he asked for news regarding Anthony. But the butler simply informed him that there was still some time left before he could meet the master.
Thinking back to the confused and disjointed words he had heard earlier, Xia Jienan could more or less understand the situation. Since there was nothing he could do at the moment, he decided to head toward the study. He did not bother going through the library again; instead, he wandered straight to the bookshelves, glancing through them casually.
This was a place where his skills would work best, but right now he didn’t have the luxury of spending too much time. Still, with a little bit of “real-world luck” on his side, perhaps he might stumble upon something useful just by browsing.
After all, this world was nearly identical to the real one he came from.
Perhaps because old Anthony had served as the director of a hospital, his grandson, young Anthony’s, study was filled with medical textbooks. One full shelf was stocked with medical journals, each thick and covered with dense lettering.
Xia Jienan randomly pulled one out and flipped open the table of contents. The page was packed with long, complicated technical terms that twisted across the page like a maze. His head began to hurt just looking at them.
With the medical skills he possessed in real life, which was to say, none, it was unlikely he would get any useful information from reading these. So he quickly returned the journal, trotting toward another row of bookshelves in hopes of testing his luck elsewhere.
However, before he could pick a book that “felt right,” the butler came to call him.
“Mr. Samuel, the master says he will see you now.”
Xia Jienan scratched his head awkwardly and let out a light laugh. “Aahaha… understood. I was just trying to find a novel to pass the time. I didn’t expect Mr. Anthony’s collection to be entirely about medicine.”
The butler nodded politely. “The master’s ancestors were all physicians.”
“I see, that explains everything.” Xia Jienan put on an expression of sudden realization and followed the butler upstairs. Before entering the small reception room, the very room he had sneaked out of earlier, he hesitated again, anxiety creeping back up his face.
“Sorry, but… may I ask how Mr. Anthony’s mood is right now?”
“The master is in an excellent mood,” the butler replied.
Only then did Xia Jienan let out a breath of relief and pat his own chest dramatically. “That’s good to hear.”
With that, he lifted his chin, forced a bright smile, and pushed open the door to the private parlor.
“Long time no see, Mr. Anthony.”
“Indeed, long time no see,” Anthony replied casually as he rose from his seat.
Xia Jienan walked up with the attitude of an old friend, clasping Anthony’s hand with exaggerated enthusiasm before the two of them sat down on small sofas opposite each other.
“My deepest apologies,” Xia Jienan began as soon as he settled down. “I never imagined my tardiness would end up troubling you.”
“I’m simply handling the responsibilities any good host should fulfill,” Anthony said with a warm smile. “Ensuring that all my guests arrive safely is one of the most basic duties.”
“A responsible host like you is truly a blessing,” Xia Jienan praised along with a friendly grin. “You seem to be in quite a good mood today. Did something wonderful happen?”
Anthony lifted a brow. “As a matter of fact… yes. Something quite good.”
“Oh? It must be something extraordinary then.” Xia Jienan leaned in with interest. “For a man as wealthy as you to look so delighted, it must be a truly magnificent piece of good news.”
“Hahahaha!” Anthony threw his head back in laughter, clearly pleased by the flattery. He slapped his thigh in satisfaction, though the gesture seemed somewhat odd, too forceful, too out of sync with his outward elegance. “You’re right. It is something remarkable. But I can’t tell you just yet. You’ll find out on the night of the banquet.”
Noticing the peculiarities in Anthony’s movements, and in the faintly eerie difference between his demeanor and his appearance, Xia Jienan feigned a disappointed sigh. “Ah, is that so? So I won’t be able to learn the secret ahead of time?”
“Do you want to know in advance?” Anthony asked, his smile deepening.
Alarms shrieked in Xia Jienan’s mind. Saying yes might be dangerous. But saying no might cost him the goodwill he had just earned. After a brief moment of calculation, he responded carefully:
“Would you be willing to tell me?”
“Of course.” Anthony nodded. “I believe you are qualified to become one of us, qualified to witness the arrival of our Lord.”
He reached out and pulled a small silver bell. The moment it rang, the butler opened the door and bowed.
“What are your orders, Master?”
“Bring him a copy of the Doctrine,” Anthony said.
The butler quickly stepped away and returned after only a short moment, he must have gone merely to the room next door. He handed Xia Jienan a folded piece of sheepskin parchment, then quietly withdrew again.
“Take a look.” Anthony’s eyes gleamed with fervor, not focused on Xia Jienan himself, but burning with a wild devotion toward the piece of parchment in his hands.
Xia Jienan inhaled deeply and slowly opened the sheepskin document…
Outside the estate,
After leaving Anthony’s manor, Du Yun and Jiang Xing roamed through the snowy streets for a long time. Unfortunately, they were unfamiliar with the layout of this town. With the heavy snowfall keeping everyone indoors, they could hardly find anyone to ask for directions.
The two of them practically circled the entire small town of Guerrero. Only when the bell tower rang did they finally encounter a handful of people returning home.
Du Yun refused to give up and approached them one by one, asking if anyone had seen a man who resembled Sean. At last, a middle-aged man gave them a reply.
“I think I did see a stranger earlier today with Sister Alide….” he said uncertainly. “But I don’t know whether that’s the person you’re looking for.”
This town was small. With the roads sealed off, every outsider, except Sean, should have been inside Anthony’s estate. The only “foreigner” wandering outside could only be Sean.
Du Yun nearly sagged with relief. She thanked the man repeatedly, then dragged Jiang Xing with her as she hurried toward the church.
However, the church was quite a distance away. By the time they reached it, the town had already sunk deep into the shadows of night.
Du Yun exhaled clouds of white mist, watching Jiang Xing knock on the church door while she glanced around, a creeping sense of unease running through her.
The town at night was unsettling, dead silent. Other than the noise they made themselves, there was not another sound to be heard. Not even the faintest trace of a stray animal. Perhaps insects hiding for winter could be explained away, but even domesticated cats and dogs were nowhere to be seen.
Something wasn’t right here. There had to be a reason.
Her suspicions grew stronger as she turned back toward the door. It still hadn’t opened, but they could hear movement inside now, someone had responded.
Du Yun stepped closer, waiting beside Jiang Xing while mentally preparing all kinds of excuses and lies for when they saw Sean.
Then, footsteps approached. The sound of the door unlocking came from within. Dim candlelight flickered at the crack under the door, only for that light to suddenly flare bright as if the candle had fallen, accompanied by the clattering roll of metal across the floor.
A woman’s unfamiliar voice called out, “Sean?”
Du Yun and Jiang Xing exchanged a quick look. In the next heartbeat, Jiang Xing instinctively took several steps back while Du Yun lifted her leg and launched a powerful kick toward the church door.
Unfortunately, the door was sturdier than she expected. She looked up, gauging its height, then ran back a few steps, preparing to charge again,
Just then, the door swung open from the inside.
Jiang Xing grabbed her just in time, preventing her from kicking the nun standing directly behind the door.
The interruption at such a late hour clearly displeased the woman. Alide’s expression darkened. “Who are you?”
Du Yun leaned to the side and scanned the interior with a quick glance. She spotted a second figure inside, still awake. Confirming that Sean truly was here, she finally breathed out in relief.
“I’m a friend of Sean’s. We came to find him,” Du Yun explained.
“We’re truly very sorry for disturbing your rest,” she apologized sincerely and bowed politely. “Our companion went missing, and we were overly worried. Someone in town told us that you might have a guest who resembles him, so we rushed here rather recklessly. We hope you can forgive us, Miss Alide.”
Hearing her earnest words, Alide’s expression softened a little. Noticing the thick snow covering the two guests from head to toe, she stepped aside and said:
“Come in first.”
The two of them hurriedly followed Alide into the church.
Inside, a few large candles were burning upon the long table, casting a warm yet wavering glow over the otherwise shadow-filled space. But what instantly caught their eyes was the candle still lit on the floor of the aisle leading toward them, lying on its side, flame stubbornly flickering.
Not far from it, a metal candlestick had rolled to rest on the ground, hinting at a disturbance that had happened only moments earlier.
Du Yun’s gaze lifted, traveling along the aisle and toward the long benches. There, seated with his back turned toward them, was a familiar figure.
Sean.
Her heart finally loosened, the heavy boulder of worry crashing down from her chest. At least everything they had done wasn’t a waste, they had found him.
Du Yun took a couple of quick steps forward, opening her mouth to call out his name,
But all of a sudden, a violent sense of danger struck her.
It shot up from the base of her spine to the crown of her head like a bolt of ice. In that instant, it felt as if she had stepped out of the normal world and into some horrifying hidden layer beneath reality. Invisible fear surged like the rising tide, gripping her so fiercely that the tips of her fingers trembled uncontrollably.
Her eyes darted downward, toward the shadows stretching from the candlelight.
The shadows… were moving.
Sliding. Expanding. Crawling outward along the floor like living things hunting their next target.
Her breath sounded impossibly loud in her own ears, and she suddenly realized what was wrong.
Since the moment they entered, the shadows cast across the church, those flickering under the candlelight, were not behaving like ordinary shadows at all.
Was that Sean’s shadow?
But how could a human shadow… move on its own?
Something touched her shoulder.
Her consciousness snapped back like a rubber band pulled too far. Gasping, she spun around only to find Jiang Xing staring at her, his expression puzzled and uncomprehending.
He didn’t see it.
He didn’t sense any of it.
Du Yun turned back toward Sean again. Everything looked perfectly ordinary. The shadows that had been writhing only a heartbeat ago were now still, merely shifting gently as the flames danced against the ancient murals on the walls.
Just like normal.
A delayed prompt flickered through her mind, an unwelcome reminder that what she’d experienced was no ordinary illusion.
Sanity check passed. It was real.
Her heart thudded violently inside her chest. She pressed a hand to her sternum, forcing down the panic rising like a wave about to drown her. And then a terrifying thought surfaced.
She remembered her earlier failure. She had mentioned that the being influencing this place was not one of those already recorded and known. But then, all later clues had pointed clearly toward that forbidden entity, the one cloaked in yellow. She had assumed that the abnormalities seen in humans under such influence simply couldn’t be neatly categorized.
So she set aside her doubts.
But what if there wasn’t only one?
Sean’s return, his strange absence, his secret mission…
What exactly was the real purpose behind it?
And who, or what, had returned with him?
✦ ✧ ✦
Nycreth
[Translator]
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ChaptersChapter 1 · Guerrero’s Lair (1)Chapter 2 · Guerrero’s Lair (2)Chapter 3 · Guerrero’s Lair (3)Chapter 4 · Guerrero’s Lair (4)Chapter 5 · Guerrero’s Lair (5)Chapter 6 · Guerrero’s Lair (6)Chapter 7 · Guerrero’s Lair (7)Chapter 8 · Guerrero’s Lair (8)Chapter 9 · Guerrero’s Lair (9)Chapter 10 · Guerrero’s Lair (10)Chapter 11 · Guerrero’s Lair (11)Chapter 12 · Guerrero’s Lair (12)Chapter 13 · Guerrero’s Lair (13)Chapter 14 · Guerrero’s Lair (14)Chapter 15 · Guerrero’s Lair (15)Chapter 16 · Guerrero’s Lair (16)Chapter 17 · Guerrero’s Lair (17)Chapter 18 · Guerrero’s Lair (18)Chapter 19 · Guerrero’s Lair (19)Chapter 20 · Guerrero’s Lair (20)Chapter 21 · Guerrero’s Lair (21)Chapter 22 · Guerrero’s Lair (22)Chapter 23 · Interlude (1)Chapter 24 · The interlude (2)Chapter 25 · The interlude (3)Chapter 26 Part 1 · Calling in the Wind (1)Chapter 26 Part 2 · Calling in the Wind (1)Chapter 27 · Calling in the Wind (2)Chapter 28 · Calling in the Wind (3)Chapter 29 · Calling in the Wind (4)Chapter 30 · Calling in the Wind (5)Chapter 31 · Calling in the Wind (6)Chapter 32 · Calling in the Wind (7)Chapter 33 · Calling in the Wind (8)Chapter 34 · Calling in the Wind (9)Chapter 35 · Calling in the Wind (10)Chapter 36 · Interlude (4)Chapter 37 · Interlude (5)Chapter 38 · Interlude (6)Chapter 39 · Interlude (7)Chapter 40 · Interlude (8)Chapter 41 · Interlude (9)Chapter 42 · Welcome to Doville (1)Chapter 43 · Welcome to Doville (2)Chapter 44 · Welcome to Doville (3)Chapter 45 · Welcome to Doville (4)Chapter 46 · Welcome to Doville (5)Chapter 47 · Welcome to Doville (6)Chapter 48 · Welcome to Doville (7)Chapter 49 · Welcome to Doville (8)Chapter 50 · Welcome to Doville (9)Chapter 51 · Welcome to Doville (10)Chapter 52 · Welcome to Doville (11)Chapter 53 · Welcome to Doville (12)Chapter 54 · Interlude (10)Chapter 55 · Interlude (11)Chapter 56 · Interlude (12)Chapter 57 · Interlude (13)Chapter 58 · Interlude (14)Chapter 59 · The Tunnel in the Dark Night (1)Chapter 60 · The Tunnel in the Dark Night (2)Chapter 61 · The Tunnel in the Dark Night (3)Chapter 62 · The Tunnel in the Dark Night (4)Chapter 63 · The Tunnel in the Dark Night (5)Chapter 64 · The Tunnel in the Dark Night (6)Chapter 65 · The Tunnel in the Dark Night (7)Chapter 66 · The Tunnel in the Dark Night (8)Chapter 67 · The Tunnel in the Dark Night (9)Chapter 68 · The Tunnel in the Dark Night (10)Chapter 69 · The Tunnel in the Dark Night (11)Chapter 70 · The Tunnel in the Dark Night (12)Chapter 71 · The Tunnel in the Dark Night (13)Chapter 72 · The Tunnel in the Dark Night (14)Chapter 73 · The Tunnel in the Dark Night (15)Chapter 74 · The Tunnel in the Dark Night (16)Chapter 75 · The Tunnel in the Dark Night (17)Chapter 76 · The Tunnel in the Dark Night (18)Chapter 77 · The Tunnel in the Dark Night (19)Chapter 78 · The Tunnel in the Dark Night (20)Chapter 79 · The Tunnel in the Dark Night (21)Chapter 80 · The Tunnel in the Dark Night (22)Chapter 81 · The Tunnel in the Dark Night (23)Chapter 82 · The Tunnel in the Dark Night (24)Chapter 83 · The Tunnel in the Dark Night (25)Chapter 84 · The Tunnel in the Dark Night (26)Chapter 85 · The Tunnel in the Dark Night (27)Chapter 86 · The Tunnel in the Dark Night (28)Chapter 87 · The Tunnel in the Dark Night (29)Chapter 88 · Tunnel in the Dark Night (30)Chapter 89 · Interlude (15)Chapter 90 · Interlude (16)Chapter 91 · Interlude (17)Chapter 92 · The Promise of Hamelin (1)Chapter 93 · The Promise of Hamelin (2)Chapter 94 · The Promise of Hamelin (3)Chapter 95 · The Promise of Hamelin (4)Chapter 96 · The Promise of Hamelin (5)Chapter 97 · The Promise of Hamelin (6)Chapter 98 · The Promise of Hamelin (7)Chapter 99 · The Promise of Hamelin (8)Chapter 100 · The Promise of Hamelin (9)Chapter 101 · The Promise of Hamelin (10)Chapter 102 · The Promise of Hamelin (11)Chapter 103 · The Promise of Hamelin (12)Chapter 104 · The Promise of Hamelin (13)Chapter 105 · The Promise of Hamelin (14)Chapter 106 · The Promise of Hamelin (15)Chapter 107 · The Promise of Hamelin (16)Chapter 109 · The Promise of Hamelin (18)Chapter 110 · The Promise of Hamelin (19)