Sharon

"What is wrong with you? Speak!"

Madam Sharon looked at the person opposite her, who was gaping in silence, and said impatiently.

"But, but..."

The Hooded Man looked left and right, appearing anxious and terrified. "Something is here! Really, something is very, very wrong!"

"What kind of nonsense are you spouting..."

Madam Sharon grew even more impatient. Just as she was about to interrogate him, her vision was suddenly painted red with blood.

"Ahhhhhhhh!"

The Hooded Man let out a miserable wail. His chest and abdomen seemed to have been pierced by an invisible blade, instantly tearing open a massive wound!

Madam Sharon and the young girl beside her were splattered with the flying blood. They were stunned, unable to react for a moment. It wasn't until the man's screams rang out that they were jolted back to their senses.

"Triss, get back!"

Covered in blood, Madam Sharon looked strangely bewitching. She shouted for the girl beside her to retreat, then opened her right hand. A charred black wooden staff about 20 centimeters long appeared in her palm; it was a special item created by her Witch abilities: a Magic Staff.

"He has been cursed!"

Madam Sharon said angrily, "He didn't even notice it himself. What an idiot!"

She raised the charred Magic Staff, and following a low chant, a pitch-black light shot from the tip of the staff, forming a Black Hemisphere Light Film above the Hooded Man's body. No sooner had she finished her defense than she saw the surface of the Black Hemisphere Light Film cave in, as if an invisible blade were stabbing at it.

The invisible strike failed to pierce the light film and retreated after a few seconds.

"Heh..."

Just as a smile began to form on Madam Sharon's face, she saw a flash of Blood-Red Light suddenly appear above!

"Boom!"

The vicious curse descended with the resentment of death. The protective barrier could not withstand it and shattered with a crisp cracking sound. The Hooded Man below didn't even have time to let out a scream before he was smashed into a puddle of flesh and blood!

"Pfft!"

Blood and human tissue splattered in all directions, as if the entire room had been coated in red paint.

"Sizzle—"

The splattered flesh was corrosive, causing the entire room to smoke and hiss.

"Yaahhh—my face! My face!"

Madam Sharon's Magic Staff exploded into two pieces. She clutched her face and screamed. Her exposed, rounded arms and the slender, fair legs beneath her evening gown—all the areas touched by the curse—began to mutate! Ugly tumors pushed out from beneath her alluring, fair skin, looking like flower buds that had yet to bloom.

Her hair began to thicken and move without wind, as if every strand had gained a life of its own.

The girl named Triss, having hidden behind Madam Sharon, luckily escaped the disaster. She watched Madam Sharon rolling on the ground, her eyes filled with a complex, conflicting mix of schadenfreude and worry. She stood quietly to the side, letting the other woman wail.

After a few seconds, Madam Sharon's howling subsided. The tumors slowly receded, and her hair returned to its original state. Only then did Triss speak, "Are you alright?"

"It's the aura of the True Creator! The Aurora Society! Those lunatics! I told them before, don't deal with those madmen!"

Madam Sharon scrambled to her feet. Half of her head had been rotted away by the corrosion, including her hair, which had been as smooth and charming as a waterfall, and her pitiful, alluring face... half of it was burned away, revealing raw, red flesh that formed a horrific contrast with the other half.

She cursed the Aurora Society hysterically.

Triss saw the woman's appearance and couldn't help but look shocked, then lowered her head.

The next day, Blackthorn Security Company.

"The manager of William Shipping Company... Mr. Pound, right? He, the company's Boss, and several other executives have already been arrested."

Dunn, who had returned after a busy night, said this to the waiting Luther.

Luther was somewhat surprised. He looked at Leonard, who had gone out with Dunn, and asked in confusion, "This is a case discovered by us Night Watchers. Shouldn't we be the ones making the arrests and conducting the investigation?"

Last night, after receiving the news, Dunn had led his team members and the relevant police to the William Shipping Company in the port district. Seeing a ship's hold full of people from the South Continent, they had been stunned, not knowing how to proceed.

However, Luther couldn't be bothered to care. He used the excuse that the Ritual had exhausted him too much and returned to Blackthorn Security Company alone, leaving Leonard to help. Upon returning to the company, he took the opportunity to change his blood-stained shirt to avoid scaring Cecilia when he got home.

"William Shipping Company's business involves colonies in the South Continent and is linked to the military, so they forcibly took the case."

Leonard explained, his expression very annoyed. "We had just arrived downstairs at Pound's place when they showed up. There was no time for the Captain to use Dreaming to investigate... The military claimed this matter involved military secrets and forbade us from investigating."

"Why do I feel like they are covering something up? The Beyonder from that night also seemed like they were there to silence witnesses."

Luther frowned, recalling the sharp strike from the previous night; his chest still felt a dull ache. "There is definitely something fishy about this."

He had checked some information after returning last night. That Beyonder had a light body, swift movements, and could jump from heights without burden. Their attacks were sharp and vicious, specifically targeting weaknesses. These characteristics were very similar to a Sequence known as "Assassin," a sequence that seemed related to the Witch Cult and The Evernight Church.

Both of these were secret organizations that stood against the official authorities. Could the military be in contact with them...

"I have already reported the situation to the Cathedral. The Cathedral will negotiate with the military." Dunn's deep eyes remained calm. "Before that, let us not act rashly."

Both nodded in understanding. At a time like this, forcing an investigation might only give others ammunition against them; let the big shots above do the talking.

After giving them a few more instructions, Dunn hurried away. He still had many things to handle, leaving Leonard and Luther alone in the room.

"Are you okay?"

Leonard looked at Luther's chest and asked in a low voice.

"Mm."

Luther patted the spot where his wound was, producing a dull, even echo that made Leonard's eyelids twitch.

He hesitated, looked around to ensure no one was watching, then leaned in and asked in a low voice, "What's going on with you?"

"I'm not sure either."

Luther played dumb. "Ever since I was sacrificed to an Evil God, forced to eat a Potion, and went through all that chaotic messing around, my body just became really good at healing."

"..."

Leonard seemed to have trouble accepting this explanation, agonizing over it for a long time.

"Did you feel anything unusual?"

He asked, unwilling to give up.

"No."

Luther replied, "Keep it a secret for me, okay? If my sister finds out, she'll worry."

He patted Leonard's shoulder, his tone carrying a hint of pleading.

Leonard nodded helplessly and turned to leave the lounge, heading towards the underground armory.

"Did you find anything?"

At the deserted spiral staircase, he spoke to the air. After a moment, he tilted his head to listen, but soon showed a displeased expression and pouted, "Old man, you're really useless..."

In the lounge, Luther stretched.

The Black Knight Potion in his body had been mostly digested, with only a small part remaining inactive. Perhaps there was still some aspect of the law of acting that he hadn't fully grasped.

"Last night was really dangerous..."

If not for his astonishing flesh and blood recovery ability, he would have definitely died that night.

Maybe I should agree to help Azik. He's a high-sequence expert and can help me improve myself.

Luther thought this and made up his mind. After returning, he would ask Klein for Azik's address and then pay him a visit.