"Don't you try to lie to me. This ritual is related to an Angel. Can a Sequence 7's divination be trusted? Let go of me, I'll walk by myself. I've received an oracle, I'll be obedient and listen."
Danitz wailed with tears in his eyes, but Lin Huai pushed him to the front without changing his expression. The group walked into the dark cave, which was like the deep mouth of a giant beast.
Inside and outside the cave were simply two different Worlds.
As soon as they stepped inside, the howling wind and the salty smell of seawater from the outside were completely cut off. What met them was an oppressive, extreme silence. The air was cold and damp, carrying a musty earthy smell and an indescribable stench.
"Saint, this smell isn't right!" Kaelan's voice suddenly became sharp as she covered her nose and mouth tightly. "This liquid is spreading disease. Everyone, be careful."
Only then did everyone notice that on the cave floor, besides a thick layer of withered yellow leaves, there were also puddles of thick, foul-smelling black liquid. That nauseating smell originated from there.
Drip.
Drip.
Deep within the cave, the sound of water dripping onto the rocks was infinitely amplified in this absolute silence, like the hands of an old-fashioned clock, or a cold countdown for some unknown, terrifying ritual. Each drip seemed to strike directly at everyone's hearts.
"Shit..." Danitz's teeth were chattering. He leaned against the slimy rock wall, warily scanning the surrounding Darkness. That Darkness wasn't just an empty void; it was as thick as a living thing, feeling as if something could pounce out from it at any moment.
The group walked for about ten minutes. At the end of the cave, the view suddenly opened up.
It was a massive, nearly circular natural cavern. In the center of the cavern was a crude altar haphazardly piled with ordinary stones, with nothing on top.
And on the wall behind the altar, a massive mural occupied the space.
The main subject of the mural wasn't any specific image, but an extremely unsettling, indescribably massive "swollen entity." It lay flat against the stone wall, appearing to be composed of countless rotting, pus-leaking corpses and unknown flesh, its surface covered in pustules and tumors. Below the "swollen entity," the fallen leaves on the ground had long since rotted away from being soaked in those foul-smelling liquids.
This was the location where the ritual was held.
However, everything had already ended. The energy had dissipated, leaving behind only this eerie scene, like an emptied stage.
"Damn it!!" Lin Huai's brow furrowed tightly. His mind raced, trying to find symbols related to the scene before him from the vast knowledge system of "Lord of the Mysteries."
Swelling, disease, and plague... this scene.
"Let's go, we're late." Lin Huai suppressed the unease in his heart. He turned around, his gaze sharp as a knife, looking straight at the beautiful Demoness of Afflictions behind him.
"Baroness Kaelan," his voice carried no warmth, "can you tell us about your Hall of Pilgrimage and your Saint?"
Thor and Loki stood to the side, completely confused by terms like Acting and Sequence. They could only stare at each other, unable to join the conversation.
Kaelan subconsciously avoided Lin Huai's gaze. She hesitated for a moment before slowly saying:
"The Saint's name is Itmer, and he is the founder of our Hall of Pilgrimage."
"Our Hall of Pilgrimage was originally just a charitable organization that helped the weak. Because... because the Saint was once an orphan himself. He has never avoided this issue."
Her voice carried a hint of reverence and sadness. "I am too. I was once an orphan abandoned by my parents, nearly starving to death on the streets of East Balam. It was the Saint who took me in and raised me."
"The operating funds for our Hall of Pilgrimage mainly come from accepting various Beyonder commissions and the bounties for hunting down those wanted by officials. Of course, there are also some... donations from nobles and the wealthy." At this point, her voice lowered. "We don't care where the money comes from, as long as it can save people."
"Can you tell me how you advanced to Sequence 5?" Lin Huai interrupted her reminiscence. "For a Demoness to advance to Sequence 5 is no simple matter. I'm curious how you completed the Acting?"
Facing Lin Huai's questioning, she took a deep breath, seemingly having made a decision.
"There's nothing I can't say."
Her voice was soft, yet exceptionally clear.
"At Sequence 9, 'Assassin', I used the assassination of bullies and officials who oppressed civilians as my Acting."
"Sequence 8, 'Instigator', I blended into the circles of those heartless nobles and wealthy merchants, purposefully stirring up conflicts between them and instigating one side to believe they were being righteous, thus 'voluntarily' donating large sums of money to the Hall of Pilgrimage for atonement."
"Sequence 7, 'Witch', I used divination to predict disasters and help some towns avoid calamities. At the same time, I used black magic to curse targets on the assassination list."
"Sequence 6, 'Pleasure'," at this point, a hint of pain flashed across her face, but she continued, "I became the most famous socialite in East Balam, navigating between various nobles and wealthy merchants, letting them immerse themselves in extreme pleasure while I gathered intelligence and funds."
"As for now..." She paused and looked up, a kind of holy radiance actually shining in her beautiful eyes, "The Acting for Sequence 5 'Affliction' is to spread pain or curses. However, the Saint... My Lord Saint... he bore all the pain I spread! He used his own body as a vessel to carry those curses and illnesses, helping me... helping me complete the Acting."
"That works too?" Danitz was the first to react. He widened his eyes, as if he had heard some incredible tall tale, his face full of disbelief.
"The Saint once said that he is the one who carries the curse, the Prisoner who bears the pain."
He widened his eyes, staring intently at Kaelan, only one thought echoing wildly in his mind:
A... a Demoness with clean hands?!
This was simply unheard of!
The essence of the Demoness Pathway is selfishness, chaos, and using the pain of others to please oneself! Every step of this path is built upon desire and corruption! A Demoness of Afflictions who doesn't spread pain? A Demoness of Despair who doesn't spread despair? How is this possible?!
That Saint named Itmer... who exactly is he?
As the brief and shocking conversation inside the cave ended, the group left that eerie coast in silence. The sea breeze blew away the decayed scent from the cave, but it couldn't blow away the clouds of doubt in everyone's hearts.
The sky was already dark, and gas lamps were lit on the streets of Bayam. Danitz sighed helplessly, resignedly leading this group of troublesome "plague gods" back to the station of the Church of the Fool.
Unlike the solemnity when they first arrived, the church was now brightly lit. A gray-haired bishop in a deep blue priest's robe was pacing anxiously at the entrance. As soon as he saw Danitz, he immediately hurried forward to meet them.
"My Lord Oracle! You're finally back!" The bishop's attitude was extremely respectful upon seeing Danitz. He first bowed respectfully, and then his curious gaze landed on Lin Huai and the others, carrying a hint of imperceptible flattery. "Is this...?"
Danitz waved his hand impatiently. "Yes, it's him. Enough nonsense, prepare a few rooms first, the best ones! We have to continue the investigation tomorrow."
"Yes, yes, I'll arrange it immediately," the bishop replied repeatedly.
"By the way," Danitz asked as if remembering something, "how is the situation over at the Tidal Church?"
Hearing this question, an expression mixing satisfaction and disdain immediately appeared on the bishop's face.
"Reporting to My Lord Oracle, the Tidal Church's side has been wiped out, not a single soul left."
The bishop responded, his tone devoid of any sympathy:
"They brought it on themselves! Originally, that Angel statue was something the Police Department prepared to take back as evidence and then commission our church to investigate. But it was snatched away by those barbarians from the Tidal Church!"
He sneered and continued, "They actually said that since it involved things related to Loki, it would be fine at their place, that they were more professional! What a joke. With their Beyonder Pathway that only knows how to think with fists, where did they get such confidence?"
"My Lord Oracle, I'll go arrange the rooms first. You and the distinguished guests should rest well." The bishop bowed again and respectfully withdrew.
After saying that, the bishop turned and left, leaving Lin Huai and his group standing at the church entrance, digesting the complex and subversive information from tonight.