Chapter 130: Chapter 130

Bevanna cautiously squinted at her surroundings. Only after confirming the Saint had truly departed did she dare to open her eyes fully and rise to her feet. With the knife branded with three colored stripes, she dispatched the two demons in succession. Walking to the window, she gazed at the black dot that had already vanished on the horizon.

"Creation from the void? Oh, Sage... which one could this possibly be?"

The Creation Pencil didn't originally possess the ability to erase; otherwise, that bicycle wouldn't have been disposed of so easily.

This was a result of the pencil being imbued with divinity. Jenkins stood on the highest step, then used his black robe, now touched with a trace of that same divinity, to conceal himself. He once again constructed a narrow staircase and descended.

Jenkins's physical body, along with Hathaway, was leaning against the largest tree in the forest. Before the tree lay a clearing where the ashes of the slain demon had settled into the earth, causing the ground to emit a faint glimmer.

Dappled moonlight filtered through the canopy, casting patterns on their two serene faces. The black-robed, dark-haired young man descended from the sky, a black cat at his side. The steps vanished behind him as he stood before the sleeping pair.

The last wisp of divinity had yet to burn away. He reached into Jenkins's coat to retrieve the withered bone, intending to study how to destroy it. But the moment his fingers touched it, the bone crumbled to dust.

"To create a new spirit body, one close to the original... and I am now..."

As this thought crossed his mind, he slowly bent over, pressing his forehead against the handsome, blond young man's. Gently, he merged back into the body. Nᴇw novel chapters are publɪshed on NoveI[F]ire.net

At that exact moment, the two demons in the distant manor were slain. One of the bubbles quivered slightly, transforming into a speck of red light.

[Twin Demons (Red Martial)]

Jenkins paid it no mind. Instead, he closed his eyes and began to sort through the new information he had just acquired. He set aside the esoteric knowledge from the divinity for the time being, focusing on the second piece of information he had learned about attaining godhood:

"Those who can become gods cannot be human."

"So... I'm not human?"

He wondered, a flicker of confusion in his thoughts. Then again, the idea seemed to have some merit.

The black cat padded elegantly over to Jenkins and let out a soft meow. Its fur shimmered, the solid black fading back to Chocolate's familiar black-and-white pattern.

"It really is you, Chocolate. How did you do that?"

he asked, bewildered.

A glint of light flashed in its vertical yellow pupils. "Meow~"

"Oh, I see. The potion worked."

A flash of inspiration struck Jenkins, and he had a moment of sudden realization.

"Wait, that's not right. Why are you here? I thought I left you at the church."

Another glint of light flashed in its vertical yellow pupils. "Meow~"

Another flash of inspiration struck Jenkins, and he had a moment of sudden realization.

"Oh, you must have been worried about me, so you followed. You're such a good boy!"

Chocolate wagged his tail, looking pleased with himself.

A clamor rose in the distance, and the lingering smell of sulfur in the air began to fade. Jenkins gently lifted Hathaway, returning the silver-filigree bracelet to her wrist. He slung the violin over his back, the cat leaped onto his shoulder, and he departed in a hurry.

"What are you doing, Jenkins?"

A cool female voice drifted up from his arms.

"We need to go," Jenkins replied. "The matter with the demons is settled. I think Miss Mikhail should be alright."

Jenkins carried her swiftly along the forest path. He absolutely could not run into any Enchanters from the Church now, or he would have a lot of explaining to do.

"How can you be so sure?"

"I... I have a special ability!"

he insisted, a little irked that she was so talkative right now.

"Just now... while I was unconscious, I think I felt a stranger by my side. It felt a lot like that black-robed person from the hospital..."

Beads of sweat instantly broke out on Jenkins's forehead, trickling down his cheeks.

A cold, vicious thought surfaced in his mind, but he forced it down. He was supposed to be one of the good guys.

"No, I'm one of the good guys. I'll just have to find a place to lock her up permanently. I remember there's a basement under the house, and then I could..."

The dark thoughts swirled, but he immediately cut them off.

He had unconsciously stopped walking. Jenkins looked down at Hathaway.

She smiled triumphantly, though she was still weak, her lips pale and chapped.

"I knew it. You know that black-robed figure who's been causing such a stir lately, don't you? Let me guess... he's the one who guided you, the reason you became an Enchanter. And that's why you don't dare register with the Church!"

Jenkins was at a loss for words.

"Got you, didn't I? Left you completely speechless."

The young woman laughed. "Don't worry, I won't reveal your secret. Thank you for saving me, and thank you for having your guide save Briny. It's a kindness I'll never forget."

Jenkins said nothing, simply continuing to walk with her in his arms. In the distance, the city lights glimmered. At least he was heading in the right direction.

"Hathaway, why was Briny there tonight?"

He was eager to change the subject.

"Some idiot must have told Briny about it. Apparently, all the young nobles in Nolan have been learning some kind of 'magical' ritual lately. I warned her against it, but she wouldn't listen. She lied and told me she was staying home to study arithmetic, then snuck out... Oh, and did you know? The demon was actually young Wellington. That night at the masquerade ball, your question to the baron was quite interesting, so I did a little digging through... special channels. It turns out all those rituals originated with him."

"Yes. There's a well-known bounty hunter on the black market. She charges a fortune, but she always gets the job done. I used that two hundred pounds you gave me to hire her, and she had the answers in a single day. Then again," she added, "it's not that hard. All you have to do is ask those good-for-nothings who live off their family names. Her name is the Huntress. I could introduce you."

Jenkins let out a quiet sigh. It really was a small world.

"What did that demon actually want?"

Carrying someone through the forest was exhausting, and Jenkins was starting to feel his strength wane. His emotional intelligence might not have been the highest, but he knew better than to complain about a woman's weight.

"I don't know. Aren't demons just naturally chaotic? Maybe it was just looking for a bit of fun..."

she said, her voice faint and uncertain.

But Jenkins knew it couldn't be that simple. The last incident with the malevolent spirit had also been linked to demons; this had to be their handiwork as well. Nolan City couldn't possibly be so unlucky as to have two separate groups of demons lurking within its walls, could it?

He reached out, placed a hand on Hathaway's head, and activated his healing ability. Some color returned to her face. It seemed the physical damage was only part of the problem.