Lord of The Mysterious Realms Chapter 1068

Standing at the doorway, Jenkins chatted for a while with the Keeper of Secrets about Nolan's plague prevention measures and inquired in detail whether the Corpse Plague had shown any signs of mutation. The news he received wasn't perfect, but it was optimistic. Just as the Church had predicted, in the half-month following Pompey's failure, the number of new plague infections had risen almost exponentially. This meant the Church's estimates of the plague's infection and mortality rates were correct. In other words, if everything went smoothly, Nolan could likely declare an end to the emergency plague alert by the latter half of next month.

"But the Skull Sword's influence isn't limited to just that."

The Keeper of Secrets spoke cautiously. Seeing that Jenkins didn't understand, he elaborated.

"Last week, we found some strange traces that might be related to the Skull Sword's whereabouts. It may not be missing after all. In fact, it might have already found a new owner in Nolan."

"What did the Church discover?"

Jenkins asked, his voice carefully measured.

"It was Bincy who found the clue. You might recall that last Friday night, his squad encountered cultists on Fifth Queen's Avenue. They were from the heretical sect, the Dead Man's Whip, and they were controlling some bizarre-looking creatures. After the battle, we commissioned the Church of Death and End to conduct autopsies on those monsters. They confirmed that they were all unnatural alchemical lifeforms, warped by a fusion with the blood of certain aberrations. Bincy may not have mentioned this to you..."

He glanced around before lowering his voice.

"During the fight, a believer of the God of Lies appeared, and he possessed the ability to control the undead. The autopsy results showed that the unknown believer's method of controlling the undead was remarkably similar to how Pompey commanded his army of the dead."

Jenkins was grateful for the beaked mask he was wearing; it hid his expression from the Keeper of Secrets.

"It means the Skull Sword has very likely fallen into the hands of the followers of the God of Lies!" Fınd the newest release on novel⦿fire.net

Jenkins suddenly cried out, as if startled. He raised a hand and drew a holy symbol over the chest of his protective suit, a pang of regret striking him for having used the Skull Sword's power that night.

"Mr. Williamette, you needn't worry too much. While the followers of the God of Lies are ruthless and unpredictable, the new God of Lies himself has not yet been classified as an evil god. Their deity will surely restrain their actions. I believe that even if they did obtain the Skull Sword, they would never repeat what Pompey did."

The Keeper of Secrets seemed to misinterpret Jenkins's reaction as fear and offered a quiet reassurance. Jenkins was about to clarify when a strange sound echoed from the house behind him.

The sound was like the desperate sigh of a dying patient, or perhaps the chilling moan of some nameless monster from a deep cavern. But the Keeper of Secrets heard nothing. Seeing Jenkins suddenly turn to face the house, he asked in a low voice if something was wrong.

"I think I'm hearing things... oh, no, it's not my imagination. This is bad!"

The words had barely left Jenkins's lips when a dark shadow shot out from the gloomy living room. Without a second thought, the Keeper of Secrets threw himself in front of Jenkins, his right hand raised as a golden divine barrier materialized. In the next instant, the barrier shattered, and the force of the impact sent them both flying. With a violent crash, they slammed one after the other into the wall of the building opposite them.

"Oh, by the Sage, what's happening? *Cough, cough*..."

The Keeper of Secrets struggled to rise but was seized by a violent coughing fit. His legs gave out, and he collapsed to the ground. His body temperature spiked, and a wave of weakness washed over his limbs, clouding his mind.

To Jenkins, the Keeper's symptoms were the classic signs of the Corpse Plague. He kept a wary eye on the female corpse now standing in the doorway as he grabbed the Keeper's arm. A torrent of immense life energy from his Life Source immediately flooded into the man's body.

"How did she wake up? Did the seal fail?"

Jenkins wondered in shock. Then, a brilliant divine light erupted from within the room. The members of the coroner and Scribe squads scattered throughout the alley had noticed Jenkins and the Keeper being thrown and were now rushing toward them.

"Don't get near this corpse! It still carries a fatal curse!"

Miss Bevanna's voice rang out from behind the corpse. The divine radiance from inside the room had clearly been her work.

The Keeper of Secrets, now being treated by Jenkins, already felt a little better. He still couldn't stand, but he could at least speak loudly.

"The Cursed Item is stirring! I think I know what this is... A-03-1-7327, Pestilence Evil! Don't you dare come any closer! As long as I'm here, it can't escape this house! Now, lock down this entire street! Shut off the gas, steam, and water pipes for the district! Kill anyone who tries to leave on sight!"

Miss Bevanna shouted frantically. As the female corpse let out a savage roar and made a second attempt to break through the invisible barrier at the door, she had no more attention to spare.

Besides Miss Bevanna and the other coroners of unknown fate inside the house, Jenkins and the Keeper of Secrets were now the closest to the horrifying female corpse.

Compared to the shriveled, thin figure on the bed from moments ago, the corpse now looked almost alive. But the exaggerated black patterns on its face, its pitch-black eyes, and its skin—as white as high-grade flour—were utterly terrifying.

Its feet did not touch the ground; it hovered in the air, toes pointed straight down. On its skin, bruises and black runes intertwined to form a complex curse. Its all-black eyes looked as if they were about to burst from their sockets, instilling an incomparable fear in anyone who laid eyes on it.

To Jenkins, it looked less like a moving corpse and more like a vengeful spirit.

"What is A-03-1-7327, Pestilence Evil?"

Jenkins asked in a low voice as he helped the Keeper of Secrets move farther away. A nearby Scribe reached out to help, but his gloved hand jerked back as if pricked by a needle the moment it neared the Keeper's skin.

"Don't touch him! Mr. Corinshir still has residual curse on him."

Jenkins warned immediately. He then heard the Keeper of Secrets answer his previous question in a weak voice.

"A-03-1-0027, Pestilence Evil, is one of the oldest Cursed Items. It's a phenomenon, a Cursed Item that has haunted intelligent life since the very concept of 'plague' was born. As the flame of civilization grew stronger, it has rarely appeared since the 16th Epoch. Honestly, if Miss Bevanna hadn't called out that number, I would never have imagined this thing would show up again..."