Anchor

Faced with the Characteristic that it was within easy reach, Luther tried to control his emotions and took several deep breaths to calm down.

"And what's the price?"

He looked at Arianna and asked, "Or rather, what kind of effort do I need to make to obtain these?"

As I said before, the Evernight Goddess would never bestow her blessings upon me for nothing.

"Just like when you were in the Church, build up your merits and then redeem them for rewards."

The "Servant of Concealment" replied, withdrawing his hand. The blood-red Skull was swiftly wiped away, vanishing without a trace, replaced by a deep blue flower. "Alright... that's all I had to say. Luther Rondal, if you are interested in what I've said and wish to return to the Church, you can light this Deep Sleep Flower to summon me."

Luther thought for a moment, then reached out and took the flowers.

"I see."

He said.

"Praise the Goddess."

Arianna withdrew her hand and prayed devoutly once more.

Luther didn't join her in praising the Goddess; he simply watched her figure being erased bit by bit, from her dusty and scarred feet to her simple black robe with patched stitches, and finally to her belt made of tree bark.

"There's one more thing."

Just as only Arianna's head remained visible, she suddenly looked at the wary Antiya beside her and said, "Stop abusing your abilities. Your anchor looks very unstable."

As soon as she finished speaking, she vanished completely.

Anchor?

Arianna realized that Antiya's true form was a ship, which is why she mentioned the anchor? That doesn't seem right. Why would an anchor be associated with the misuse of Beyonder Ability... Luther thought to himself, turning to look at the Angel lady he Contract, and noticed that her expression was a little off.

Could it really be true?

Luther stepped forward and expressed his concern, "Are you alright?"

Antiya has been acting strangely lately. She's not as keen on going out as before, and she's even less enthusiastic about touching Luna. And occasionally, her figure seems to become somewhat ethereal, as if she might disappear at any moment.

"Not good..."

Antiya reached out and brushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear, smiling with a hint of regret.

Luther's heart leaped into his throat.

Please stop acting like this, you're making me uneasy...

"When she mentioned 'anchor,' she wasn't specifically referring to your ship's anchor, was she?"

He asked.

Of course not.

Antiya glanced at him sideways, seemingly speechless at his words. "The so-called 'anchor' she mentioned is actually a concept from occultism."

Mysticism?

"That's right. I'm asking you, when you advanced to Sequence 4, did you have a feeling that your spirit was affected by the Potion itself, becoming cold and indifferent, completely unlike yourself?"

"Have."

Luther recalled that such a situation did occur when he became the Black Knight, but under the Queen's guidance, he remembered the hatred, pain, and anger he carried, and the effects of the Potion were dispelled.

So, is this related to [anchors]?

He continued listening to Antiya's explanation.

"This influence comes from Spirituality instinct, from the Collective Subconscious of humanity, and even more so from the Beyonder Characteristic itself. As it progresses to Sequence 3, it will only grow stronger than Sequence 2, drastically altering the extraordinary individual's personality, turning them into a ruthless and cruel killer, devouring all extraordinary beings around them..."

Miss Ship Spirit explained softly, slowly revealing the ignorant, cruel, cold, Distortion nature of the extraordinary world.

"The so-called 'anchor' exists to address this situation. Extraordinary individuals need to spread their beliefs, letting many people know them, understand them, and praise them... Through this means, the collective Sea of Collective Subconscious, thus stabilizing their state."

It's like sinking an anchor on a Frenzy Sea of Collective Subconscious, thus securing one's place.

"That's a very apt metaphor."

Luther Zedao.

"Wait,"

He quickly realized something and immediately asked, "So, in that case, the reason why the gods spread their faith..."

"Of course, it's for the same reason."

Antiya said without hesitation.

Really...

Luther remained silent. If this truth were to spread, he wondered if some believers would break down as a result.

But more than worrying about the believers, he should be concerned about the Ship Spirit.

"Antiya, and what about you?"

He frowned and looked over. "What's the situation with your anchor?"

Luther had never heard of any strange religion that worshipped Ghost Ship.

"My situation is rather special."

Antiya replied, "Part of my anchor comes from Roselle, whose deeds are still told by many, and the Black Throne, his former Flagship, is well-known as a result. Another part comes from the local natives and crew of the Fog Sea... Their legends of Ghost Ship also help stabilize my condition."

That sounds pretty good, but over time, the weight of these two anchors may gradually decrease.

"So, what's your situation now...?"

"That woman was right."

Antiya looked somewhat helpless. "The original [anchor] was enough to support my daily activities, but because I've used too much power recently, my body is quite depleted, which has caused the effects of the Potion to take hold."

Ah, this is my fault...

Luther thought guiltily. He had made her deal with two Sequence 1 Angel in a row, which must have put her through a lot.

"Feel sorry."

He asked earnestly, "So what should we do next?"

"That woman is right, I need to tone it down for a while."

As Antiya spoke, her body gradually became ethereal. "I will no longer use my abilities and wait for the mental imprint to stabilize... In other words, I may not be able to help you for a while."

"It doesn't matter."

Luther said he didn't want the other person to lose control because of this, "What can I do for you?"

"Help me spread the legend. I'm your Flagship now, and I deserve to be known by more people."

"I will."

Luther replied.

"Also, I won't allow you to leave me behind. Even if you go to Backlund, you must take me with you."

However, she soon made a request that was difficult to fulfill.

How did I end up ashore with a boat?

As Luther pondered this with difficulty, Antiya approached, grabbed his arm, and bit down on it. The black three-masted sailing ship moored at the edge of the shore vanished instantly, leaving behind the mark of a black anchor on his arm.

"Please, my captain."

After Antiya finished taking a bite, she gave him a beautiful, delicate smile.

Under the afternoon sunlight, her beautiful face and body gradually shattered, turning into light that seeped into the anchor marks.