"Alright, those are the two things I came to see you about today."
After settling Luna's potion formula, Silas tucked the note into his robe and said to Klein, "Then I'll be going..."
"Don't rush off."
Klein stood up.
"It's rare for you to come by. I was thinking of treating you to something."
"...Treating me?"
"That's right."
Klein said with a smile.
"I bought some rice at the shopping street.
I'm planning to make tomato beef stew to go with it. The beef stew will be made using our hometown's method."
Before transmigrating, he was from the south, while Silas was from the north.
Their tastes didn't align. So he planned to compromise and make a dish with broader appeal.
Silas froze slightly.
Hometown cooking...
Nostalgia welled up from the bottom of his heart. He almost instinctively wanted to agree, but very quickly, he shook his head.
"Forget it."
Silas said.
"Huh? Why?"
The smile on Klein's face immediately froze, and he couldn't help but ask.
"I'm not in that mood anymore, nor do I need it. I still have to return to the East Borough to continue monitoring things there."
Silas slowly stood up and said to Klein, "But I still want to thank you for the invitation."
He was already Sequence 5. His body had been further transformed by the potion, completely eliminating any need to consume food.
When eating, he might feel some sentimentality, but it definitely wouldn't bring the nostalgia Klein hoped for.
That would just spoil the mood, so better to refuse from the start.
"...Alright then."
Seeing his attitude was firm, Klein could only stand up and see him to the entrance hall.
"Then I'll see you... wait, there's a Beyonder coming."
Silas was about to say goodbye when his Shepherd's spirituality suddenly gave him a warning, causing his farewell to shift mid-sentence into an alert for Klein. "Seems to be around Sequence 7."
"Ding-a-ling..."
Just as his words fell, the doorbell at 15 Minsk Street rang.
The two exchanged glances.
Silas remained in place while Klein, with caution, walked over to open the door.
The instant he grasped the door handle, his spiritual intuition let him see the face of the person behind the door: a young man with hair slicked back, handsome and delicate features, red pupils carrying arrogance.
Emlyn White?
Why is he here?
Klein opened the door with a trace of surprise.
"Good afternoon, Emlyn. At this time, shouldn't you be at the Harvest Church?"
Silas really is worthy of being a Shepherd. His perception is incredibly accurate...
Klein thought to himself.
The young man before him was no ordinary person, but a member of the Sanguine... actually a Sequence 7 of the Apothecary pathway, a Vampire.
Through various circumstances, he had become acquainted with Klein and was currently serving as a priest at the Harvest Church, which worshipped the Earth Mother.
"I have something I want to consult you about, Sherlock Moriarty, detect... oh!"
This handsome vampire spoke in an extremely solemn tone, enunciating each word.
Unfortunately, before he could finish, he saw Silas standing in the entrance hall, saw the blood-red robe he wore, and sensed the mad and depraved aura emanating from him.
A Shepherd!
Impossible!
As a Sanguine, though Emlyn's own level wasn't particularly high, he had the racial inheritance and knew the basic common knowledge of the Beyonder field and certain secrets.
The man before him was undoubtedly a Sequence 5 Shepherd, a dangerous existence who worshipped an evil god!
"Swoosh!"
His body immediately erupted with dense black mist, wings sprouted, and then without hesitation, he turned and fled into the distance.
Though he didn't know why Sherlock had gotten involved with a Shepherd, there was no time to explain.
He definitely wasn't a match. He had to escape immediately and seek aid to help Sherlock while saving himself...
"Stop."
Then Emlyn heard a casual voice say just that in despair.
The shadow beneath his feet suddenly came alive, like pitch-black liquid wrapping around his ankles.
His forward momentum didn't decrease, but his feet were stuck in place, so he inevitably fell to the ground.
"Bang!"
The shadows quickly wrapped around him, binding him tightly.
"Don't do anything rash!"
Emlyn shouted with false bravado.
"I'm a noble Sanguine. If you dare touch me, all the Sanguine in Backlund will be your enemy!"
I'm done for. Caught by an Aurora Order lunatic...
He thought to himself, feeling like crying without tears.
He had originally wanted to consult Detective Sherlock about The Fool, but unexpectedly opened the door to find a Shepherd.
This guy would definitely shepherd him and use his abilities as a Child of the Moon...
Such a shame about all my cherished dolls.
No, I have to resist, even if it's for my collection!
That's right! I'll just pray to that Mr. Fool right here and seek life from the jaws of death...
Just as Emlyn's thoughts kept shifting, alternating between despair and intensity, he heard the Shepherd's calm voice. "You know this guy?"
He seemed to be chatting with Detective Sherlock.
"Hold on. He's an acquaintance of mine."
Sherlock answered like that.
What's going on, Sherlock? You really have a relationship with a Shepherd like this?
Emlyn just felt confused and bewildered.
---
The Forsaken Land of the Gods.
The Silver City exploration team arrived at the ruins of that city and gradually approached the evil god's temple in the city center.
This temple was already half-collapsed, but its former glory could still be seen from its appearance.
The residents who persisted in surviving in the darkness had perhaps once come here devoutly to pray to the deity.
But now, this place had completely become ruins. The temple entrance was deep and dark, as if emanating an indescribable aura of terror.
Under Chief Colin Iliad's leadership, Derrick and the other team members cautiously searched the temple.
They saw filthy "scalp mushrooms" and "finger tree fruits," as well as peculiar murals.
The murals depicted the image of the True Creator, hanging inverted on a pure white cross, bearing the world's sins and disasters for all people, while seven twisted evil gods watched from the side, seemingly ready to destroy the world at any moment.
Complete lies...
Looking at the murals, Derrick thought to himself.
Besides this mural, another one left a deep impression on him. It depicted a team of pilgrims.
Under the guidance of an angel with silver-white hair, they crossed mountains and walked toward the depths of the dark land.
At the angel's feet was a river that connected head to tail.
And in the corner of that mural were written the words "Redemption Rose" that he had seen before.
As the exploration deepened, the team arrived at the temple's core location.
There they encountered a statue of the True Creator with open eyes, and behind the divine statue was a crying little boy.
Unfortunately, that little boy had already become mad and depraved. The Chief directly charged forward and ended his life with his sword.
Derrick opened his eyes and saw that he was in front of the campfire at the camp.
He had completely forgotten what had happened before, as if the exploration event had restarted at this point in time.
In his heart were only worry and anticipation for this exploration.
"We depart in 50 lightning flashes."
Chief Colin Iliad said to them solemnly.