A little while later.
It mightn't have been a bad idea to chat where they were, but Adryan preferred to avoid it. Given the way Uron had moved around the place and no one had said anything to him, that building could be considered property of the Church.
And the topics he planned to discuss with his group were somewhat sensitive, so the possibility of being spied on was a great annoyance. Therefore, Adryan rented a private carriage to take them around the city.
Still, it wasn't enough, even if it was a private carriage. The coachman was a normal human, not a zombie. They could have started talking right away if he had been, but for obvious reasons, they couldn't.
Even if they received special treatment from the Church, they couldn't abuse it too much. Therefore, Maric was forced to return to the grave with his loyal poker companions before coming here, and Adryan had forbidden him from getting more once in Lenburg.
A true tragedy, in Adryan's opinion.
Fortunately, he had the perfect solution: a fine pocket watch.
Turning the crown and silencing the carriage's interior, Adryan put the watch in his jacket and smiled at them.
"Ko'ágã ikatu ñañe'ê." Once the redhead heard the words coming out of his mouth, he tensed up.
He had used Guarani!
Hangover Time had twisted his tongue and had made him use that language directly.
"..."
For a moment, no one said anything; they just looked at the man in confusion.
"... What did you say?" Flora, sitting next to him, asked.
Laughing a little, Adryan smiled apologetically. "Negative effect: it twisted my tongue and complicated my words."
Luckily, it was an easy effect to deal with, so there wouldn't be any more slips.
"Ah, of course." The white-haired woman said, unimpressed, while shaking her head.
"Putting that aside..." Turning to look at the duo, Adryan continued, "Now that I have the opportunity, I would like to consult you about the Indulgence Faction of the Rose School of Thought."
"Could we know why that would be, Mr. Adryan?" Maric asked with a hint of curiosity. Sharron looked at everything with serenity.
Adryan smiled. "Didn't I mention it? Anyone who follows the Divine Whore and the Overgrown Bush is the enemy of my Lord and, therefore, mine.
"Being enemies of my Lord, what other way is there to deal with them besides complete annihilation?"
Sharron gave him a look while Maric froze in place.
Taking a small breath, Maric spoke, "Excuse me, Mr. Adryan. But who would you be referring to with... those names?
The Zombie earnestly hoped he was wrong.
Adryan looked at him, and his smile became simple: "I thought it was obvious. Of course, to the Primordial Moon and the Mother Tree of Desire."
Maric's already pale skin turned even whiter, and he looked at him in astonishment. Sharron frowned almost imperceptibly but did not show her bewilderment apart from a somewhat rough— even for her— nod.
Flora looked at their reaction and could only empathize with them. "I recommend you get used to it quickly. The Princess has the horrible habit of nicknaming Evil Gods... And some Orthodox as well," she added at the end, glancing at the man.
"If they have any problem, they can say it to my face," Adryan responded simply.
This time, they all gave a stern look.
Letting out a soft sigh, the woman in the dark dress gently shook her head.
"Then we have the same goal, " the wraith said, regaining her doll-like appearance, but her eyes glowed a little. Maric looked at him more, and he swallowed his words.
"It's obvious that our goals are the same; if they weren't, I wouldn't have invited you to my team." Adryan said, "What can you tell me about the Indulgence faction?"
Looking at his companion, Maric was surprised to see her gently shake her head before turning her attention to the redhead.
"How much do you know about the Rose School?"
"So much so that if I told you everything I know, without a doubt, all of you would die from the corruption." Adryan didn't soften or try to hide anything; his words were the truth.
There was no change in the blonde's expression, who merely gave a subtle nod. "What do you want to know?"
"As far as I knew, the believers of the Primordial Moon who were at the Rose School and those of the Mother Tree of Desire have conflicted for centuries. However, due to what happened in Backlund, I learned that this is not true and that even the believers of the Primordial Moon can receive special treatment. Why?" Adryan asked, and Sharron didn't take long to respond.
"The good relationship between both Evil Gods and believers was not always like that; instead, it was, as you say, violent and filled with mutual disdain. Only in recent years have the relationship between the two beliefs found a place to stand together.
"We—The Temperance Faction—were unaware of this, so we couldn't prepare for the attack that almost annihilated our entire forces," Sharron recounted in an ethereal voice, her tone almost spectral and pained.
"Three years ago, in August, we were planning to carry out a coordinated attack to take down two of the top leaders of the Indulgence faction. The daughter of the 'Son of God,' Abrahel, and one of the worst members of the Indulgence Faction, the 'Queen of Rot,' Lidiara. Two Demigods who, thanks to my Teacher, we knew were preparing for their ascension to Angels.
Adryan looked dazed at the woman. 'Suah has a daughter?!'
Sequence 1 Abomination Suah, direct son of the Corrupted Chained God and son of the Mother Tree of Desire herself! That guy has a daughter!?
Not only that, but two members were preparing to become Angels!
'Things have gotten much more complicated.' Unable to help it, the redhead grimaced while clicking his tongue. "How annoying."
Ignoring the man's reaction, Sharron continued. "While we were making our final preparations for the attack that would take place at the end of the month, we were ambushed at our base in the City of Rupus in the Highlands Kingdom.
"More than 80 percent of our forces perished that day. The only reason there is still a Temperance Faction is because my Teacher protected us all the way, from the highlands, valleys, and green lands. I watched as 'She' fell before Sua's assault and the high-level forces of the Indulgence Faction.
'At least I know that Playful Grandma is still on our side...' Sighing a little, Adryan looked at the woman momentarily.
After a brief deliberation of 2 and a half seconds, he said, "Reinette Tinekerr is still alive."
The calm that was the doll-like face of Sharron broke, eyebrows raised in disbelief, and enormous emotion shone. "What?!"
Adryan couldn't help it; he stepped back, dazed and stunned by the brutal display of emotion from someone who sometimes didn't even seem to breathe.
Even Maric, who had also been stunned, couldn't help but look at his companion in shock.
Realizing her outburst, Sharron let out a small sigh, and her face, which had shown bright emotions, returned to its doll-like appearance.
"Apologies."
"..." Flora just looked at her while blinking a few times.
"It's fine. I would also react that way if my maternal figure, whom I thought was dead, turned out to be alive." Adryan laughed a little as he settled back into his seat. On a mental note, he wrote down Sharron's name in the section of emotionless people he had managed to break.
If what he said bothered her, the blonde didn't show it.
Seeing that he wouldn't get another reaction, Adryan continued with the questions.
"I doubt you know, but I still have to ask. What was this special place where they managed to find a mutual agreement? It must have been extraordinary to bring them together."
"We never discovered it. Due to the damages suffered in the attack, the Temperance Faction could never investigate how it all happened." Sharron said, closing her eyes for a few seconds before opening them and adding:
"The only thing we know- thanks to some branches that remained on the South Continent- whatever it was, they theorize it couldn't have been more than 22 years ago.
"Around the middle or end of 1327, it was during that time that the attitude of the followers of Primordial Moon and Mother Tree of Desire changed."
"22 years..." Adryan moved his lips, silently repeating the number a few times.
His stomach twisted, and a weight settled on his shoulders. His eyes darkened, and his tongue clicked in annoyance, quickly finding why it bothered him so much.
His body was born in September 1327, very close to the time when the relationship between the believers improved.
'Did they feel it? That with the birth of Adryan Kenway, I would take over his body in the future, and they decided to act accordingly and prepare? Of course, they didn't know which body it would be, but they knew that the time for me to appear was near... It's not too improbable, if they have a way to track me then in some way they must also sense me...' Dozens of questions quickly formed in the Conspirator's mind.
He refused to believe such a big coincidence was just that, but he had to fight against a skeptical part of himself.
Seriously, did the mere birth of his future body cause two Cosmic Beings to set aside their differences to deal with him?
'Of course. It's not to deal with me per se...' Adryan tapped his chin, in his mind a name ominously repeated, the name of the one who was undoubtedly the reason for the alliance of divine whores.
'Fire of Destruction...'
The redhead quickly controlled his thoughts before they wandered back to dangerous places.
Sighing a little, he asked his last question, "By any chance, do you know someone at the Rose School of Thought who went by the nickname the Doctor?"
Sharron barely shook her head. "I don't know anyone at the school who has received a nickname like that. Do you have more information about them?"
"They like to manipulate bodies from a distance like a Marionettist, and although their abilities seem similar to those of the Apothecary and Planter pathways, they are very different," Adryan added. Still, to his disappointment, Sharron shook her head again, and Maric also denied knowing anything about it.
Sharron and Maric knew no one with those characteristics at the Rose School of Thought.
'So my dear Doctor is a John Doe... Shit.' Clicking his tongue again, Adryan just looked out the window, bored.
He would keep the sound bubble active a little longer before releasing it.
Seeing that no more questions were coming, Sharron suddenly asked, "Do you know where my teacher is?"
"Yes, but I won't say it." Adryan replied without looking, "You will meet once destiny sees fit."
At his response, Sharron just nodded without reacting, closing her eyes and seeming to fall asleep.
Flora watched this entire interaction, bewildered. Her pupils trembling at all the information that had been shared.
'Is her teacher a 'She'? An angel?! But how many angels does this guy know?! This is the second one!!'
It seemed that no member the redhead took was just for a momentary whim; they always had something more to them.
'What kind of monstrous team are you forming, Adryan?' Discreetly watching the man, the white-haired woman's mind raced.
Because each member was unique, she felt it had to be some kind of ritual. But she was unaware of a ritual that involved the participation of so many special people.
They didn't stay together much longer; the group split up after a while. Maric and Sharron disappeared into the crowd, promising to meet at the Beyonder Gathering on September 7th.
After changing clothes, Adryan changed back into his Harvey Wayne appearance and returned to the Astope Quarter with his companion by his side.
Entering the room, the white-haired woman looked at him with an arched eyebrow. "I thought you would rent an extra room."
"And stay alone in this place? Don't even think about it, Miss Worm; you are my teddy bear." Laughing a little, the dark-haired man removed his jacket and hung it on the coat rack.
"What would you like to eat?" the man asked, rolling up the sleeves of his shirt.
Flora blinked a little, "Are you going to cook now?" Isn't it a bit late?"
"Nah, it's fine. You deserve a good meal after being a worm for so long." Adryan shrugged his shoulders, not giving it much importance. "And well? What will it be? Or do you prefer it to be a surprise?"
The white-haired woman remained silent for a few seconds. After deliberating a bit, she nodded, "A Loen-style noodle."
"Loen-style noodles on the way then." Laughing a little, he went to the kitchen.
...
Sitting face to face at the table, Flora looked deeply at the plate before her.
Thick yellow noodles arranged in a swirl, the sauce poured over them in a pink bath, and several thick chunks of tender meat covered again in grated cheese fill a deep plate generously.
Simple candles illuminated the table, and wine glasses were beside the plates.
The woman couldn't help swallowing a bit of saliva. The smell made her mouth water.
She also noticed how the setting and presentation were more like a dinner date, but she didn't comment on it, knowing that the man would take the opportunity to tempt her...
Grabbing the fork, she took some noodles and the sauce and brought them to her mouth.
After years without a body and surviving by parasitizing small animals and eating whatever came her way, this food was almost enough to make her cry. The only thing that kept her from the waterfalls was her pride, like Jacob, and the idea of the stupid smile the man would have in front of her.
So, swallowing the absolute delicacy after chewing it for a good while, she gave an appreciative nod. "It's delicious."
Huffing a little, the redhead looked at her while putting a piece of meat in his mouth, "Of course it is. I made it."
Rolling her eyes, Flora didn't rush to eat but savored every bite to the fullest. So, she grabbed the knife to cut the meat, but before she could cut it, the mere pressure of her fork crumbled it.
Knowing that the knife was unnecessary, she set it aside and brought the tender meat to her mouth, surprised once again as it almost melted.
"How is it so soft?" Had cooking advanced so much since he lost his body? Had so much been lost?
"The trick is to fry the meat before putting it in the pot with the sauce and then boil it again." Adryan smiled proudly as he sipped the wine.
That was a trick his grandmother had taught him. What Flora was eating was not pure Loen-style noodles but a mix of the Loen style, along with the cooking he learned from his Grandmother and his own experience.
Kenway-style noodles!
Flora nodded slightly to his words while taking another piece of meat and putting it in her mouth—the taste of garlic with the sauce making her smile.
Thus continued Flora's first human meal until both their plates were empty. Now, they were just sitting in silence, calmly drinking a glass of water to wash down the food.
"You're not a demigod anymore, are you?" Adryan asked suddenly, his glass a few inches from his lips.
Flora was not surprised by the question. She didn't even show a reaction; she shook her head. "Now I am the Prometheus of Sequence 6."
She stared at him and added, "But I still feel my characteristics. They are inside you."
'It makes sense. It's a safe.' Adryan nodded internally, not surprised by the woman's response.
Hunters Hallow wouldn't just release a Demigod who tried to kill him. This was undoubtedly the most logical decision when entering the Tower and freeing Flora.
If she was going to leave, she couldn't be higher than his sequence, so in an unknown manner, it separated the characteristics of Sequence 5 and Sequence 4 from Flora, gave her years of life, and expelled her with a new body while sealing those characteristics inside him.
'So Hunters Hallow has that ability... That's terrifying. Separating the divinity from a Demigod in a state as bad as Flora's without killing her or losing control...'
Shaking his head slightly and pushing his thoughts away from his tunic. He looked at Flora calmly. "Don't worry. Every time I advance a sequence, your characteristics will return to you."
A sigh escaped Flora, who felt a weight lift off her shoulders. "That's good."
She knew that getting her body back couldn't come for free. This was something she was willing to tolerate.
"Your room will be the guest room. This weekend, we'll go out to buy you clothes and anything else that might interest you." Adryan commented as he set down his already empty glass.
Flora nodded, having no problem with what the man said.
Later that day, in the City of Calamities...
Even after everything that had happened during the day, he couldn't afford to rest.
Opening the grape-colored leather-bound book, Adryan began to read.
<>
Contrary to what many think. Divination through Mirrors does not come directly from the Spirit World, as most other divination does, but rather from the Mirror World.
To this day, the Mirror World remains unknown. However, as far as we know, it shares similarities with the Astral World and the Spirit World; it is a separate dimension.
It is a reflection of everything and nothing—what existed and what did not exist, what could have been and what will never be. It is the sum of everything and nothing. It is a dimension without a king, governed solely by chaos and plagued by the unknown.
According to the Primordial One; "The Mirror World is the most dangerous jungle in the universe. The only safe places are the reflections of reality; even then, they are fraught with dangers. Beyond the reflections, the dangers are unimaginable, and death is certain."
While Mirror Divination is considerably safe, one should never try to look beyond the world's reflections, as something might always be waiting there, ready to look back.
Thanks to all these factors, divination and cursing through mirrors are quite effective and considerably more challenging to protect against than other curses, even rivaling demon families focused on curses...
<>
"Okay... This is not creepy at all..."
In the original story, the Mirror World was mentioned briefly but never delved into much. Considering that he had the City of Calamities under his control, any information about that world was welcome.
But this? This was definitely not expected.
"But even Cheek saying that beyond reflections of the world, death is certain... What kind of place is that?" Murmuring to himself, the redhead slightly closed his eyes and massaged his forehead with two fingers as he fell into cogitation.
Now he was sure that whoever wrote this book was not only a member of the Demoness Sect - only they called that Castrated Bitch the Primordial One - but also a high-level existence. Just reading a few sentences made his brain throb.
'At least a Demigod, that's for sure...'
The pain in his brain diminished, and after a while, he continued reading, occasionally repeating the process of massaging his forehead and cogitating.
While reading, a part of his mind returned to the murals he had seen on the First Floor of the Tower, and several questions formed.
Who was the Angel de Silver fighting against?
'If I take that the True Creator had already been born when the fight occurred, it must have been at the end of the Third Epoch. Placing it at least at the Fourth Epoch...
'Considering that he seemed to be on the side of the True Creator, then it could be likely that the enemies were all the gods except for the Black Emperor, who was the ally of the Rapper...'
"Curious..." Mumbling a bit, the redhead decided to leave this for later.
It was very likely that the one who created the Tower was the Angel of Silver. Not only did the times of appearance match, but it would also explain many others.
The most important thing is that the Silver Angel was also a transmigrator!
Adryan didn't know whether he was the same type as the Transmigrator Trio or just like him. The answer was most likely on the upper floors of the Tower.
"I have to keep climbing..."
At least now he could understand why he was considered the Most Beloved Angel...
But the redhead couldn't help but feel confused about the entire system of the tower and how it worked.
It was a bit strange. The tower's 'system' was very similar to the terrible and repetitive power system of many dungeon stories.
Something he couldn't help but think didn't quite fit in with this world.
While he thought about that, his mind drifted to the encounter in the anteroom of the Tower, and a growl escaped him.
'Why did I have to meet with the Three-Flavors Soup so early?! What the hell!?'
He would recognize that effeminate and pale face anywhere, his real appearance not much different from his art in official forums and descriptions.
The Evil Spirit Sauron-Einhorn-Medici. His second biggest enemy, second only to the Major of the Castrated Bitches.
If Adryan wanted to advance to the Calamity of Destruction, the first step was to defeat the Evil Spirit for the throne of Sequence 0.
For obvious reasons, meeting him in the Tower was literally the best first encounter that could have happened.
In that place, they could do nothing to each other except insult each other, and the Sequences were suppressed. In any other situation, Adryan knew he would have died.
Considering those, how could he not seize the opportunity to strike the first blow in this impending war technically?
Remembering what had happened and the expression the former Red Angel had made, a satisfied laugh escaped the redhead.
"I'm sure he didn't expect that. And who would do it? For him, it was as if an ant suddenly spoke to him and insulted him. It would leave everyone stunned! Hahaha!
Laughing a little more, he remembered another event that happened there.
"Those guys who shouted and came towards me for sure were members of the Church of the Annoyed Dove. They would only charge headfirst even knowing they couldn't do anything to me because of the rules." Criticizing the Punishers' foolish action, he just clicked his tongue.
Honestly, he wasn't too worried about everyone knowing he was in Lenburg.
At first, he was, but now that he knew where the next entrance was, most of his worries had wholly vanished.
The next entry was in the 'City of Sin', after all. Or, as everyone knew in this world, Intis!
It was very likely that most of those who saw him thought he had already left the Tower and was on his way out of the country.
Not that he was still in the country, working to build an Economic Empire.
"Of course, I still have to worry about the Three-Flavored Soup and its Useless Writer Dog... Sigh..." Shaking his head, Adryan sighed and closed the book in his hands.
"I don't have to think about that now; I just have to focus on improving my business and increasing profits..."
As he neared the middle of the book, Adryan considered it enough for the day and returned to his body.
Opening his eyes, Adryan could only grunt a little at his headache.
"It seems that the idea of lending the book to Charlotte will have to wait until he is Sequence 7..."
He was sure the young man would lose control as soon as he read a few words. Maybe he will be safer when he advances to Warlock, but for now, this jar of cookies will stay in the cabinet.
With that in mind, the redhead just sighed and, with the help of cogitation, let the world of dreams take him.
...
Flora's Room.
Lying in bed, wearing a white nightgown, Flora squeezed the pillow a little in her hands. Feeling its softness and cotton texture.
A gentle smile adorned her lips.
'I missed sleeping in a bed...' Closing her eyes, the Jacob quickly fell asleep on a mattress without the aid of cogitation.
...
The Tower. First Floor.
A man with dark blonde hair and blind in one eye watched his 'companion' with suspicion.
That 'companion' wore old black armor with bloodstains, and his red hair stood out against his pale skin.
They were in a dark forest after fighting with strange creatures that were small but highly aggressive and strong. These creatures preferred to hunt in packs. Now, they were using a cave as a refuge.
The half-blind man looked at the red-haired man and expressed his doubt since the events in the great hall.
That crazy moment and provocation from someone who should be weaker than him, but didn't hesitate to provoke everyone present, especially the terrifying Evil Spirit who made his body its new home.
"How does Adryan Kenway know you?" The Traitor Archbishop, Ince Zangwil, asked.
The Evil Spirit turned away from the fire before him and looked at him without enthusiasm. "With whom is behind him, it doesn't surprise me. It's the least he should know."
His red eyes turned away from the man, who said nothing more and not answering the question, causing the blonde man to frown in annoyance.
The only reason they were still together was that they couldn't separate, something that the Evil Spirit had caused.
Due to the rarity of his condition, once he entered the body of the Former Gatekeeper, a part of their being merged.
Unless someone at the level of an angel separated them, they would be together until one of them died.
At that moment, a bloody mouth opened on his left cheek. "You noticed, didn't you? Despite the distance, the smell of his blood was so strong that I could taste it."
Hearing the voice, the Evil Spirit laughed a little, a dark and malicious laugh. "Of course I did."
Another bloody and rotten mouth opened on his right cheek. As soon as it formed, a loud laugh came out.
"Hahaha! I was worried that the new generations were losing the sharpness in their tongues and fists and becoming soft, but it seemed I was wrong!
" Hahaha! Three-Flavors Soup! How did I never think of that!? And you just stood there staring like a fool! Oh! I'm so proud-"
Slap!
Slapping a hand on that cheek, the Evil Spirit could only let out a small grunt while still hearing the laughter.
Moving his gaze to the darker areas of the cave where they were, 'He' did not take long to show his true emotion. He lowered his hand, letting the laughter resonate in the cave, and laughed with it. The rotten, bloody left mouth also joined in the fun shortly after.
Finally, calming down after a long while, three male voices spoke as one—a grim and ghostly symphony of death.
"Without a doubt. This Epoch is extremely interesting~"
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