Hidden Sage

The malice in the strange eye was unmistakable. Even though Luther did not meet its gaze, it still glared viciously at him, like a narrow-minded petty man. If it had been a person, Luther could have ignored such a stare without concern, but coming from an evil and terrifying existence, that gaze was extremely dangerous.

Luther's head began to buzz, and blood immediately gushed from his nose.

The sound of the Phantom Tide rose within his mind, shielding him from further harm, but the injuries already inflicted continued. Blood ran over his lips and chin, dripping onto Old Neil's floor.

Luther knew he did not have much time. He took a deep breath, stared at the flickering candlelight, and prayed softly.

"Lord that Created Everything,"

Only after attending Old Neil's lessons did he learn that this unfamiliar language he spoke was actually Hermes.

As he spoke the first line of the prayer, the world beyond the Wall of Spirituality suddenly darkened. Even Dunn and the others, who were close at hand, became impossible to see clearly. The bloody pattern on Old Neil's body began to grow vivid, seeming almost alive under the candlelight.

"Lord who Reigns Behind the Curtain of Shadows,"

In the darkness, some great existence quietly rose. The world grew darker still, leaving only the bean-sized flames of the two candles. Distorted murmurs began to emerge, layer upon layer, making one feel inexplicably irritated and restless.

The bloody pattern slowly sank inward, as though it were devouring Old Neil's skin and superficial flesh before branding itself directly onto his chest. The illusory eye abruptly stopped floating, as if fixed in midair, no longer moving.

I can't continue reciting it.

The murmurs echoed in Luther's ears, as if constantly pounding at his nerves and digging into his brain. He instinctively sensed danger. He interrupted the recitation of the True Creator's Honorific Name and, using the influence already bestowed, shouted:

"Praise the Lord's glory! Degeneration is the New Life of all things!"

The moment his words fell, the blood-carved pattern on Old Neil's chest began to writhe. The eye that had been attached to Old Neil suddenly shot into his body, as though some invisible force had sucked it inside.

Immediately afterward, the symbol representing the True Creator dissolved like paint spreading through water. Yet it was confined by the red circle and could only spread through that small area on his chest. Before long, the skin within the circle turned crimson, and something stirred beneath it.

With a pop, four cracks bloomed across the red skin, then slowly widened. They were four cold, lashless eyes. Two pairs of eyes, one above the other, appeared on Old Neil's chest.

Perhaps it was merely Luther's wishful illusion, but beyond their coldness, those two pairs of eyes seemed to contain a trace of bewilderment.

Bang!

Luther raised his dagger and pierced the Wall of Spirituality. Amid the howling wind of spiritual energy, he shouted:

"Your Excellency Cecimir, now!"

Whoosh!

In the next instant, a streak of white light flashed before his eyes.

Luther found it hard to describe what kind of light it was. The instant he saw it, the world seemed to cease existing, leaving only that beam of light in his vision. When he came back to himself, Crestet had already appeared beside Old Neil. A silvery-white metal suitcase slammed onto the floor behind Luther with a thunderous crash.

A large patch of skin had been sliced away from Old Neil's chest, exposing pink muscle. Yet strangely, not a single drop of blood flowed from the wound.

Drip.

A piece of bloody skin fell to the floor. The four eyes on it spun rapidly as the strip of skin struggled and twitched like some living creature. But it could not hold on for long before turning into black ash and completely vanishing.

"Did it work?"

Cold sweat beaded on Luther's forehead as he muttered in disbelief.

Dunn and the others held their breath as well, waiting for Crestet's judgment.

Crestet stood sideways, hiding his right hand, which held something, at his side. He looked down at Old Neil, then calmly said after a few seconds, "It worked. The expulsion was very thorough."

Phew!

Luther heard a collective exhale of relief from behind him.

"That's wonderful!"

Tears glimmered in Daly's eyes. Dunn and Royale said nothing, but their joy was plain to see.

They all looked at Luther.

"Luther, you saved his life."

Dunn strode over, pulled him to his feet, and gripped his arm tightly. "First Royale and Klein, then Old Neil... I'm extremely glad that I invited you to join the team back then."

"It was pure luck."

Luther grinned as well, though a faint lingering fear remained in his heart.

Royale and Daly also gathered around him, showering him with praise and thanks. Luther was happy, but he could not help sighing inwardly. Old Neil really was well-liked; so many people cared about him.

Just then, Crestet calmly looked straight at Luther.

"You used the True Creator's authority over Degeneration?"

he asked.

"You're truly remarkable. You saw through it at a glance."

Luther replied.

This time, he had used a ritual called Fallen Revelation. The ritual's original purpose was to induce a Beyonder's degeneration and loss of control, turning them into a sacrifice for the True Creator. However, Luther had imposed restrictions, confining the area of degeneration to a small patch of skin on Old Neil's chest.

Because the loss of control had been forcibly triggered, the evil force that had originally been scattered across Old Neil's body was forcibly gathered together. Then, with Crestet's holy artifact of the Goddess, it was directly cut away.

In other words, the degeneration ritual had been meant for evil, but Luther had put it to good use.

"Hehe..."

Crestet finally smiled. Looking at Luther, he said, "You really are clever... but don't do that again next time."

He bared his teeth, smiling happily.

Because of the angle, Luther saw the part Crestet had hidden through the gap in his collar. Inside Crestet's concealed mouth, every tooth was covered with transparent beings. They writhed and swayed, revealing one illusory human face after another.

"..."

Luther shuddered in horror. He suddenly understood why Crestet had always kept his lips hidden beneath his collar.

Old Neil was still in a deep coma. They covered him with Dunn's coat, lifted him onto the round table in the living room, and left Daly in charge of watching over him. The others scattered throughout the house, searching for any remaining dangers.

Luther entered the bedroom on the second floor. As he casually flipped through the pages on the desk, a sheet covered in writing fell out. Looking closely, he saw what seemed to be a short Honorific Name and several rituals. At the very end of the Honorific Name was a name—

Hidden Sage.

His eyes widened at once.