Witch's Heart

Having received a gift from the Hidden Sage, Luther immediately felt more confident.

The excruciating pain in his head, as if it were being torn apart, was gradually subsiding. Sitting in the chair in the duty room, he pondered to himself.

Ms. M doesn't have a cheat code like mine; she definitely wouldn't be able to withstand the onslaught from the Hidden Sage... However, she previously went through the "Listener" stage, so she's definitely stronger than the average Extraordinary being in terms of resistance to the impact of evil gods. But even so, that talisman can still have a significant impact on her, greatly reducing her strength.

He looked down at the ring.

Ms. M seemed unable to detect this, just as she hadn't realized she was out of the surveillance camera's sights.

Luther recalled that the Church of Evernight's Holy Bible, the Night's Revelation, mentioned that the Goddess held Concealment authority; this was probably what M was referring to.

The woman was unable to discover the reason for these things.

Unfortunately, the Goddess wasn't willing to help me much, so I had to seek help from the Hidden Sage.

Thinking of this, Luther recalled the second useful piece of knowledge bestowed upon him by the Hidden Sage —the knowledge that could save Cecilia from the Flesh Curse, which was the method for making an item that would bear the Curse in her place.

Because he couldn't write it down on paper, Luther could only remember it in his mind:

Lifeform in a Bottle.

Effect: Becomes a substitute for the user, capable of withstanding Curse, interference, occupation, and being sacrificed in their place.

Materials: Various herbs, the user's blood, and the Witch's Heart.

Demoness?

Recalling this, Luther's eyebrows furrowed.

The materials for the previous parts were relatively simple; herbs could be bought by mixing them into the Ritual supplies. While it was pitiful to see Cecilia bleed, it was bearable for the sake of survival. But what exactly was this Demoness?

Wait, I think I've seen this in the documents before.

Luther recalled something.

Yes, there's an organization called the "Demoness Sect," which seems to have been mentioned in materials related to the Gnosis Order.

While investigating a human trafficking case, Luther was stabbed by a suspected Assassin Pathway Beyonder. He then searched for information about the Nighthawks. This information revealed that some Beyonders using the Assassin Pathway came from the Gnosis Order, a bloody and extreme organization. This organization was suspected of being connected to the "Demoness Sect."

However, he couldn't find any specific information about the Demoness Sect at the time.

We need to find information about this cult quickly. I'll look through the archives when I get to work tomorrow, and I can also ask the captain... Also, we might be able to find the Demoness by following the human trafficking case, but unfortunately, they've already gone into hiding.

Luther thought to himself.

But how could he find the Demoness and obtain the materials from them without arousing Ms. M's suspicion?... Could he find a way to link the Demoness Sect with the Nighthawks, making it official business... and then use the excuse that the Witch's Heart is Ritual material to preserve it?

In the quiet, deserted underground space, illuminated by the gaslight, Luther continued to ponder, constructing various solutions in his mind. He felt no sleepiness and stayed there until dawn.

Just after six o'clock, the Nighthawks had stayed in the upstairs Lounge came down to relieve him.

Good morning, Luther. The Sun has just risen.

"The Sleepless" Kenley emerged from the corridor, approached him with a friendly smile, and said, "Is this your first time on duty? How was it? Did anything happen last night?"

Unfortunately, nothing unusual happened.

Luther shrugged and chuckled, "To be honest, I was so bored I almost fell asleep. Luckily, the captain provided coffee. At times like this, I really envy you Sleepless only need to sleep for a short time each day."

"It's good that nothing happened."

Kenley laughed, "When Klein first stood guard at Chanis Gate, the door opened from the inside, startling him. Later, they analyzed that it might be because a notebook had been temporarily placed behind the door, but I don't know the exact reason."

"Something was left behind the door, so it was temporarily opened?"

Luther's heart skipped a beat, then he casually asked, "Speaking of which, have you put anything new behind the door lately?"

"No... If I had to say, it was only on the day of the special inspection that the Senior Deacon brought the Goddess's Holy Relic inside once."

Kenley replied.

Just as I expected.

Luther thought to himself, wrote his name in the register, stood up, and pulled out a chair for Kenley Ritten.

A monotonous sound of footsteps came from the other side of the corridor. The two couldn't help but turn their heads at the same time and saw an Indifference old man in a black robe carrying a gas lamp coming from the direction of Saint Selena Cathedral. The old man didn't even look at them, walked straight to the Chanis Gate, pushed open the iron gate, and stepped into the black silk wrapping.

They are the internal guardians.

Kenley looked at the retired Nighthawks who had volunteered their services with admiration.

At this moment, Luther suddenly had a question.

"Speaking of which, I'm very curious about what exactly is the power that suppresses the Sealed Artifact behind Chanis Gate?"

He asked Kenley.

"Oh, I heard that each stronghold has different ones. I don't know what the other strongholds have, but here in Tingen, it should be Saint Selena's Ashes," Kenley explained. That saint was a High Sequence powerhouse in life, and her ashes still possess great power after death.

Luther glanced at the black ring on his finger. So, these were the things that provided the shielding last night?

After saying goodbye to Kenley, Luther climbed onto the ground. Sure enough, it was already getting light, and there were already pedestrians on the street, busy making a living for the day.

Luther let out a long yawn, only then realizing just how tired he was. Indeed, he had been thinking all night, his brain hadn't rested at all, and now that it was light and the sun was shining, sleepiness was creeping in.

I wonder how their investigation is going...

I'll go back to the company this afternoon and ask. Also, I need to find information about the Demoness.

With this thought in mind, Luther stepped out of Blackthorn Security Company and, under the slightly glaring sunlight, took a trackless carriage back to No. 6 Daffodil Street.

As soon as Luther entered the house, he saw Ms. M's beautiful yet detestable figure. Today, she was dressed in a women's knight's outfit.

Cecilia sat on the other side, her two long, rounded, and full legs stretched out.

"Cecilia, didn't you go to class today?"

Today is Saturday.

"Ah, yes."

The Nighthawks get a break once a week, Luther, having worked for so long, almost forgot what day the weekend was.

He was about to say a few words to his sister when he saw Ms. M looking at him with a smile and asking, "What were you doing last night?"

In that instant, Luther's heart skipped a beat.

"I'm thinking about how to get rid of you."

Immediately afterwards, he spoke to Ms. M in a defiant tone.

"Really? I've seen you sitting here all night, and I'm a little curious about what you're thinking about."

Ms. M smiled.

Upon hearing this, Luther's expression remained unchanged, but he secretly breathed a slight sigh of relief.

The Goddess's power was indeed strong; Ms. M hadn't noticed.