บท 38: Sometimes, I Hate Angels
Chapter 38 - Sometimes, I Hate Angels
After completing the blood test, Arthur reluctantly let Carn go. Han, delighted to have his son back, drove him home with a lighthearted grin.
Meanwhile, Arthur stayed behind at the facility, pouring over Carn's data. He meticulously analyzed the timeline of events, cross-referencing the gargoyle's appearance on surveillance footage with Carn's movements on the first floor.
The lunch break began at 11:30 AM. Koa and Tasha left the classroom almost immediately, but Carn stayed behind, sitting quietly with his eyes closed as if he was meditating. At 11:35, he exited the room, crossing paths with Barney in the hallway.
Footage from the first-floor CCTV near the elevator showed Carn at 11:37, navigating through a crowd of students. He entered the men's washroom at 11:40.
Meanwhile, Barney lingered in the laboratory at the blind spot of the room's camera, stealing dangerous chemicals between 11:37 and 11:42. At 11:43, the mysterious gargoyle statue appeared on camera, silently watching Barney.
Barney seemed to panic and attempted to flee, but his escape was cut short. By 11:44, the gargoyle had killed him and vanished almost instantly. Carn, however, reappeared at 11:47, leaving the washroom looking refreshed.
Arthur sighed. From an average person's perspective, Carn was completely innocent. But as a seasoned investigator who had handled countless murder cases involving hunters and explorers, Arthur couldn't shake his suspicion.
Carn clearly loved breaking bones. He was capable of defeating doppelgangers. He also had both the motive to kill Barney and the mana capacity to execute all the key spells needed for the crime.
The key lay in the teleportation and disguise spells. If Arthur could prove that Carn could use either, it would be the missing link Arthur needed.
Lighting a cigarette, Arthur took a long drag and exhaled slowly, forcing himself to broaden his perspective. He couldn't risk fixating solely on Carn. He wondered if a third party or even a relative of one of Barney's many victims might have been involved.
For now, Arthur decided to put a hold on Carn's surveillance, shifting his focus to other leads. Coincidentally, many staff members of this school and a few students were related to the missing persons. He began researching their backgrounds.
.
After returning home, Han immediately grounded Carn. That evening, Wong lashed him several times, reprimanding him for going to school and getting himself into trouble again.
The next day, following the incident, the entire district went into lockdown. ECD agents, including Han, were dispatched to patrol the area, searching for the elusive gargoyle.
Confined to his room, Carn had little else to do but scroll through his phone. He focused on news related to the Wuhan outbreak, particularly the altered version of the COVID-19 virus that had sparked his concern.
Unfortunately, reliable information was scarce. Chinese media had largely stopped broadcasting anything about the rifts, and most clips and reports had been deleted, likely censored by the local government.
However, not all news was successfully suppressed. The United Nations had begun pressuring Chinese delegates to release information about the dimensional rifts, arguing that transparency was necessary for other nations to deploy teams to close them. Despite the mounting international pressure, the Chinese envoys steadfastly denied the existence of any open rifts within their mainland.
The situation was far from promising. Soon, chaos seemed inevitable. Instead of a resurgence of COVID, the world might face an even greater threat.
Thinking about the undead armies emerging from Wuhan's dimensional rift, Carn sprang to his feet before sitting cross-legged on his bed. Closing his eyes, he began recalling the details of Arthur's divine spirit.
'Only saints and saintesses receive divine protection blessings. They're immune to all undead curses and can easily vanquish liches, vampires, and zombies. But what about me? I can't just shatter their bones and hope for the best. Those nasty liches will keep resurrecting skeletons and zombies forever.'
Carn realized that he had run out of time. He needed at least a thousand gold marks in preparation for the undead army and the zombie outbreak, so he couldn't enjoy his current slow life.
Although he disliked the idea of praying to unfamiliar divine spirits, Carn decided it was a necessary gamble.
He didn't limit himself to a simple vocal prayer. Instead, he spent 10 silver marks, amplifying his telepathic voice to resonate across the entire state of Florida.
That was the maximum reach he was willing to pay for. While he could have spent 100 silver marks to extend his plea across all of North America, he deemed it far too extravagant for this purpose.
With determination, he began his prayer.
"Dear divine spirits, I am Carn Yunho. I foresee the destruction of this civilization and desperately need your aid. A looming threat of undead invasion rises from a dimensional crack in China. The undead creatures from the other side will consume the entire Asian continent within days once it breaks out! I know my request is sudden, but I beg you. Please lend me your holy power. I need it to protect my family and this world."
His voice carried an urgency that couldn't be ignored, echoing across the spiritual plane. Carn held his breath, hoping his plea would reach the right ears.
RUMBLE
It didn't take long for ethereal entities hidden in the world to manifest before Carn. Three radiant, golden figures appeared, surrounding him.
The figure directly in front of him was the same female divine spirit that protected Arthur. To her left, a levitating infant angel holding a trumpet hovered playfully. To the right stood a faceless knight clad in shimmering, golden armor. His entire form seemed to consist of dense, swirling gas, and his glowing gold eyes pierced through Carn's soul.
The knight's voice rumbled like an ancient storm, resounding directly in Carn's mind.
"Guardian of the Stone Mausoleum. Demon Lord of Bone Mountain. Bane of Heroes. Savior of the Mother Tree. Carn 'Pebble' Yunho."
Carn grimaced but masked his irritation. Their formality and acknowledgment of his titles felt like an implicit power play. Swallowing his pride, he knelt before the divine spirits, meeting their collective gaze with respect and defiance in equal measure.
The female spirit smiled warmly but carried an edge of curiosity in her tone.
"Demon Lord Pebble. We've heard your plea. Your sincerity has indeed reached us. But there is one thing that intrigues us."
The infant angel drifted closer, giggling as it blew a sharp note from its trumpet directly into Carn's ear. He winced, shutting his eyes as the high-pitched sound rang through his skull. After its mischief, the angel spoke in a sweet voice.
"We have long been aware of the calamity you fear, and we've already chosen our incarnations to protect humanity. The humans will inevitably prevail. So, tell us. Why do you even bother? This matter is none of your business, Demon."
Carn raised his head, his eyes narrowing at the divine spirits. Their detached nature made it hard to discern whether they were testing him or genuinely apathetic. Despite his frustration, he responded.
"Do I need a reason to protect my family, friends, and fellow humans? I'm a human now, am I right?"
The female spirit tilted her head, folding her arms in puzzlement.
"But isn't it… troublesome?"
Carn let out a sharp, sarcastic laugh, his patience thinning.
"If it's so troublesome. Why don't you stop shielding that detective I met yesterday? You know, the one you gave absolute protection to? Without your blessing, I could easily steal his holy power and solve this problem myself."
The gold knight's tone shifted, clearly irritated.
"Plundering our power is a sin. Harming our chosen incarnations is an act of blasphemy. Should you cross that line, we will hunt you down and send your soul to the abyss! Forget reincarnation, you will never taste Aether ever again!"
Carn's smirk faded into a glare. He rose to his feet.
"There you go. When I ask to borrow your power for the greater good, you call it troublesome. But if I request that you step aside and stop interfering, you threaten me. Are you really protecting the world, or are you just watching from the sidelines and letting the world burn? Make up your mind!"
The three divine spirits stared intently at Carn. Moments later, the infant angel and the knight vanished, dissolving into golden light.
Only the female divine spirit remained. Her expression softened into a smile.
"It is the decree of the Great Will that our power can only be granted to those who prove themselves worthy. You have yet to demonstrate your worth in this world. Therefore, we cannot bestow our blessings upon you, unless…"
Carn scoffed, cutting her off. His patience for divine posturing had long worn thin. He had encountered many spirits in his time and was familiar with their games.
"If you want me to do your dirty work in exchange for power, just say it already."
The spirit's smile grew brighter as if pleased by his directness. She nodded and gestured toward his smartphone, which buzzed to life on its own. The screen displayed a portrait of a middle-aged woman, someone Carn recognized immediately.
She was the same cougar who had attempted to seduce Han just days earlier.
The divine spirit's voice rang with a chilling serenity.
"That woman may not have taken lives, but she has stolen the livelihoods of seven good men, shattering their futures and leaving them in fates worse than death. If you kill her for us, we shall reward you with a portion of holy power, commensurate with the weight of your deed."
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