Meeting

"Damn it, that Kexi boy... was he the Spirit Warlock?" Chris's face darkened. Though he had already expected the Kexi People to be inseparably tied to Negary, he had never imagined that boy was the Spirit Warlock.

"I wonder what answer they'll give to this probe." Chris had already learned some information. "Negary's power may be even greater than we expected."

Thinking of the invitation Negary had made to Bujiter in his memories—sharing life through pathogens, allowing people to break through the limits of human lifespan—Chris realized that terrifying numbers of people would submit at Negary's feet.

Even merely observing him through Bujiter's memories, one had to admit that he possessed an indescribable charm. That lethal sense of danger, that deep-seated ill omen... if someone weak-willed stood before Negary, they would likely choose to submit to him out of fear.

"Excuse me, are you Mr. Chris?" A voice suddenly rang out.

Chris followed the sound and saw a man in a black robe standing some distance away in the alley, watching him.

"By Lord Komoro's order, I have come to invite you over. We have agreed to your request," the black-robed man said in a low voice. "We will arrange for you to meet Isabella and her daughter, but whether you can take them away will depend on your own ability."

"Is that so?" Chris looked at the black-robed man before him. He knew these people were the Crow Men who maintained order in Reastmia for the Kexi People. Through their rhythm, Chris could sense the abnormal vitality within him.

Had he been modified by Negary? Chris pondered in secret, considering how he should defeat the other man if a conflict broke out.

"Please follow me." The black-robed man turned and walked in another direction. Chris narrowed his eyes and followed. He was here as the vanguard; Austin and the others, being high-ranking members of the Divine Grace Church, would face enormous obstruction if they tried to come here.

Before Chris had arrived, the upper echelons of the Interkami Kingdom had been conducting all manner of bargaining and struggles over interests because of this matter. If nothing unexpected happened, Austin should arrive here with reinforcements before long.

Only then would they be confident of taking Isabella away. With Chris alone, it would be extremely difficult to ensure the safety of Isabella and her daughter.

"This is the place, Mr. Chris. Please enter." The black-robed Crow Man led Chris to a magnificent manor and pushed open the gates for him.

"Then thank you." Chris spoke in a deep voice, his steps carrying him through the gates without hesitation.

"No need to thank me, Mr. Chris. I have long admired your deeds. I hope we will have a chance to cross swords." The black-robed Crow Man spoke politely, pulling back his hood to reveal a face covered in black markings. "My name is Nozades. I look forward to that day."

Chris glanced at the black markings on Nozades's face, nodded, and entered through the gates. After passing down a long corridor, he arrived in a hall and saw a young man praying.

"Legendary ranger Chris Mordo, it is an honor to meet you. I am Komoro." The young man finished his prayer and rose to his feet.

Komoro still looked eighteen or nineteen. Ten years had had a negligible effect on his appearance, but if one judged by temperament, one would discover that he had changed completely.

The former Komoro had merely been a cowardly youth driven into madness, but now, anyone who saw him would have a single word rise from the depths of their heart—eerie.

It was as though something utterly terrifying lay hidden deep within this man's heart. With the slightest carelessness, that dangerous thing would burst from his body and devour everyone who looked upon him.

"Leader Komoro, it is an honor to meet you." Chris looked at the eerie young man across from him and recalled the information he had gathered about Komoro.

This was the man who had brought back Negary's faith. Through Negary, he had become the leader of the Crow Men Organization that established order in Reastmia. In Reastmia, aside from Negary, he wielded the greatest authority—truly above ten thousand and beneath one.

Yet now that they had met, Chris keenly sensed the discordant rhythm within Komoro through his Breathing Method.

The chief mystery of the Breathing Method was to use breathing to merge oneself into the rhythm of all things. Humans, being one of all things, naturally possessed their own unique rhythms. Each person's rhythm differed, and it changed according to their condition.

An outstanding practitioner of the Breathing Method could determine where a person had suffered some pathological change by identifying the discordant parts of their rhythm. Thus, many disguises were useless before a practitioner of the Breathing Method—unless they could alter their own natural rhythm.

But Komoro's rhythm was exceedingly strange, even stranger than those of the Crow Men. The Crow Men's rhythms contained certain peculiar things that altered them, while Komoro's rhythm was like two different rhythms forcibly kneaded together.

"That chaotic, ominous feeling... merely sensing his rhythm is enough to fill one with fear. Negary?" Chris exhaled. The Komoro before him could practically be considered Negary himself; after all, more than half of his being had been eroded by Negary, turning him into a puppet that knew only obedience.

"Isabella and her daughter are in the rear hall now. You may go see them. As for whether they are willing to leave with you, that is your own matter," Komoro said calmly. "One more thing: do not disrupt Rea's order."

Chris nodded, passed around Komoro, and entered the rear hall. There, he saw Isabella sitting uneasily in a chair, along with Nara, who was looking curiously around at everything.

"Hello, Ms. Isabella." Chris approached the mother and daughter, continuously sensing their rhythms through the Breathing Method. Isabella's rhythm was normal. Apart from the large amount of Spread Pathogen in her body from living in Rea for so long, she only had a few minor ailments.

What truly shocked Chris was Nara. This little girl's rhythm was no weaker than Chris's, and within it, he could even hear the roars of dragons. Not even Spread Pathogen was present in her body.

Has the Dragon Child bloodline been awakened? Is Nara the Saint of Salvation from the prophecy? Chris saw the fleeting glint of gold in Nara's pure eyes, and at last believed the witch's prophecy.

"I believe you have already guessed the purpose of my visit, ma'am. Please make your preparations. Before long, someone will come to take you back to the Kingdom." Chris looked at Isabella, whose expression was somewhat complicated.

Isabella's lips moved twice before she finally said:

"I refuse."