Chapter 1294: Chapter 1294

All the morgue drawers were empty, which was completely unexpected. Jenkins had imagined a much different outcome: a fierce battle between the Corpse Gentleman and the local Nolan church, culminating in his suppression. Then, the hospital's curse would erupt once more after all these years, only to finally be resolved by discovering its core, bringing an end to the affair that had plagued Nolan for more than a decade.

"So the Corpse Gentleman got away?" he surmised.

"It's hard to say," the elf replied. "Perhaps he possesses some unique concealment technique—after all, you did say he's a demigod. Or maybe he's unlocked the abandoned hospital's deepest secrets; one would need courage to live in a place like that. In any case, you and your professor friend must be careful. You were the ones who reported this to the Church, and I fear the Corpse Gentleman might seek revenge."

The elf's warning was sound. Jenkins made a point of visiting the professor to inform him about the Corpse Gentleman. Since the Sage's Church hadn't handled the case, the professor was, as expected, completely unaware of how things had unfolded.

Upon hearing Jenkins’s concerns about potential retaliation, the professor took the threat seriously. After a moment of thought, he decided to move into the church for the time being.

"As it happens, the Church recently recovered a large number of contraband items, so we Keeper of Secrets apprentices are incredibly busy. But you, Jenkins, you shouldn't linger in Nolan for too long if you can help it. I'm confident that no matter how powerful the Corpse Gentleman is, he won't cross half a continent to hunt you down in Ruen."

But with the matter of the Doomsday Illusion, Jenkins couldn't stay away from Nolan for long. The professor's words, however, gave him an idea. He didn't necessarily have to handle all the affairs he'd agreed upon with the old man of the clock tower himself. While he might be the only one who could face the old man directly, the tedious work of setting up the rituals in the real world could easily be delegated.

"I need someone with enough free time, someone trustworthy and highly capable," he thought. "That way, I'll only have to focus on what happens inside the Doomsday Nolan..."

So that afternoon, he sought out Magic Miss at her tower on the outskirts of the city. They had last met in this very place, so Jenkins began by updating her on the aftermath of the 'Misfortune Poem' incident. Magic Miss, however, showed little interest in the mad poet, merely inquiring after the well-being of a "Miss Glasses," whom she apparently knew.

"I don't require any payment," she declared. "All I want are the coordinates and precise instructions for those ten different rituals."

The woman said with a smile, knowing Jenkins wouldn't mind.

Jenkins agreed without hesitation, inwardly pleased that he could now free himself from such a tedious task.

But his good luck for the day had clearly run out. He spent the rest of the afternoon wandering the city center with his cat, hoping to re-enter the Doomsday Nolan, but his wish went unfulfilled, even by the time he returned to Ruen for dinner.

That evening, still feeling dejected, he found Dolores at the estate and asked if there was an open, flat area nearby he could use. After receiving her permission, he finished dinner, bid farewell to the others, and, carrying his materials, stepped out alone into the moonlight.

He didn't even bring the cat. The final step of the ritual required him to be "alone," and Jenkins wasn't sure if having Chocolate nearby would violate that condition, so he had to leave his companion behind at the estate.

Leaving through the main gate of the estate, Jenkins—a pack on his back and a black case in hand—followed a small lane that wound around to the rear of the property. He picked out a faint path in the meadow, which led him to an animal trail. After following a family of rabbits he happened upon for about twenty minutes, he finally reached the river that cut through the grassland.

The riverbank was a stretch of gravel, not a natural feature. The previous owner of the estate, an avid fisherman, had brought in pebbles and crushed stone to make it easier to fish. It now served Jenkins's purpose perfectly.

He set down his case and pack on the bank. Listening to the pleasant gurgle of the stream, Jenkins looked up at the vast tapestry of stars overhead. Far from the city lights, the night sky blazed with extraordinary brilliance.

Bathed in the light of the silvery galaxy, Jenkins tilted his head back and took a deep breath. A warmth spread through him, as if he were soaking in a warm bath, bringing a sense of comfort he had never felt before.

"Am I really better suited to life in the wilderness than in the city?" he wondered, attributing the feeling to the elven blood that flowed through his veins.

He gathered some dry wood, built a fire ring with stones on the bank, and fashioned a simple rack from sturdy branches. He set an earthenware pot over the flames and poured in the solution he had prepared earlier, letting it heat.

Glancing up at the moon one last time to confirm its phase was right, he crouched and took a small glass vial from his case. He pulled out the stopper and poured its contents—the Water of Life—into the pot.

"All things spring from the beginning; the first life nurtures the world."

He chanted softly in Elvish—an extra precaution, but part of the ritual nonetheless. With his eyes closed, he held his hands around the pot as if cradling it. As he did, the fire beneath it flared with a sudden whoosh. When he opened his eyes again, the flames were dancing with a violet hue.

Next, he took out a small paper packet. Stirring the clear liquid in the pot, he carefully sprinkled in the Elfwood dust. The powder was notoriously difficult to preserve; it would spoil upon contact with either metal or glass.

"The elves were born of the great trees; such is the story of our origin."

There was a certain melodic beauty to the cadence of the Elvish words, and Jenkins found he quite enjoyed the sound.

As the dust settled into the liquid, the clear solution rapidly turned a shimmering silver, like molten mercury. It was so reflective he could see his own face in its surface, and he fervently hoped this "mercury" wouldn't readily evaporate.

He stopped stirring as instructed, removing the wooden spoon and setting it aside. Then he took a deep breath and exhaled slowly over the pot. The silver hue deepened with his breath, and just before he ran out of air, the entire mixture transformed into a dazzling gold.

A unicorn materialized behind him. Jenkins retrieved a pair of scissors from his pack and looked at the creature with a touch of sorrow. The small unicorn returned his gaze with an equally sad expression before, after a long moment, slowly folding its legs and lying down before him. Jenkins fought back a pang of guilt, as if his conscience were being chided, and carefully snipped three long hairs from its mane.

He stroked the creature's head once before sending it away. Then, he took the three unicorn hairs and tied each into a different, intricate knot—a task that required considerable dexterity, one he had practiced countless times with ordinary rope.

"This is the contract. This is the connection. We make our pact with nature, and we shall be its guardians."

He dropped the three knotted hairs into the golden liquid simultaneously. This time, the color remained unchanged. Jenkins paused for a breath, then stomped his foot hard on the ground. Instantly, the green emblem representing his [Life Source] ability appeared beneath him.