During the operation to rescue Miss S, Raphael and Leonard had encountered a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact in a rather peculiar state.
According to the information Raphael had obtained afterward, that Sealed Artifact was called "Pain's Hand." Not only was it "alive," but it also seemed to genuinely possess a degree of independent consciousness.
Raphael had later wondered whether the Sealed Artifact had escaped from those Fourth Epoch ruins.
Now, it seemed that not only had it escaped, but it had also entered the Spirit World and was doing quite well for itself there.
That was hardly surprising. After all, he was at Sequence 3. In the Spirit World, as long as he stayed alert, he would rarely encounter anyone who could match him.
The reason Raphael had thought of that Grade 1 Sealed Artifact was that the clothes the man wore looked somewhat like the matching outfits he had bought for the zombies under his control.
However, the color had changed, and the style seemed slightly different as well, so he had not recognized them at first glance. Only after taking a few more looks did he remember.
The man was wearing such clothes because, back in those Fourth Epoch ruins, he had taken away one of Raphael's zombies.
Now, it seemed the Sealed Artifact had seized that zombie's body, gaining the ability to move freely.
That also explained how he had found Raphael, since that zombie still retained a certain mystical connection to him.
Fortunately, "Pain" seemed to have forgotten Raphael and even intended to become his messenger.
Seeing no response from Raphael, Pain asked, "What is it? Are there any other special requirements for becoming your messenger?"
"No." Raphael smiled. "I was just thinking about something else."
After a moment's consideration, he asked, "What payment would you