Chapter 1390: Chapter 1390

"It's alright," he said. "Please, just listen to me."

Jenkins softened his voice, speaking in a tone that was as soothing as he could manage:

"It's all over now. You're safe here, and so are we. Perhaps recalling those things you've tried so hard to forget might help ease your frayed nerves. The best way to conquer fear is to face it head-on. You can do this..."

His words carried a subtle undercurrent of his divine power over lies, and the speech worked as intended. The sobbing man grew calmer, as if hypnotized, and his speech became coherent.

"So," Jenkins pressed gently, "what exactly did you promise in that darkness?"

"An altar," the man whispered. "There's an altar beneath the real Nolan. The voice promised to help me escape the Mysterious Realm, but in return... after I returned to the material world, I had to sacrifice one of my own relatives on that altar... to the Mysterious Realm. Yes... I did it. That's why I survived..."

His mental state was extremely fragile. Even with Magic Miss's suggestive spells and Jenkins's subtle influence, he had reached his limit and could barely say another word. But the most crucial detail was still missing. Left with no other choice, Jenkins directly invoked the power of his Lie Godhood:

"If you don't tell me the location of that altar, you might just die in the next moment. Now, tell me where it is..."

"In the sewer pipes directly beneath the clock tower. It's not deep, but the entrance is hard to find."

Magic Miss had no desire to enter the sewers. The stench was foul, and disgusting slime sometimes dripped from the ceiling. But today, the matter was urgent. Suppressing her displeasure, she followed Jenkins down a manhole in a secluded alley. After navigating the winding tunnels, they finally found the location the man had described.

It was indeed an altar, hidden behind a secret door in the side wall of the sewer pipe. The light in the sewers was dim, and without prior knowledge, it would be nearly impossible for anyone to stumble upon such a place.

The secret chamber didn't look very old. Jenkins guessed it had been constructed only a few weeks ago. Based on the traces and layout, it was highly probable that the old man from the clock tower in the Doomsday Illusion had directly ejected a fragment of that space from the Mysterious Realm.

The chamber was cramped, with a round stone altar occupying almost the entire area. Its flat surface was caked with dried blood and bone fragments. Paired with what they had just heard from the man, it was all too easy to imagine what had transpired here.

"Well? Can you make anything of it?"

Jenkins asked Magic Miss, his voice full of anticipation, and took a step back to give her a better view.

"It's not a creation of our era. I'm almost certain it was thrown out from the Doomsday Illusion. Let me see these runes... Alright, I won't be able to figure this out right away. I'll need some time to study them."

She said, backing out of the tiny chamber to face Jenkins.

"Mr. Candle, I believe our activities for tonight must end here. I'll figure out the purpose of this altar as quickly as I can. Until then, you'd best stay out of Nolan. We can't risk you running into the old man from the clock tower and making him suspicious about why you haven't continued setting up the ritual."

"Then how will I know if you've uncovered the altar's secret?"

"I plan to stay with Miss Silver Flute for a while. She mentioned you know who she is. Come to her mountain villa once in the morning and once in the evening to check on my progress. But be careful. It's best to bypass the main city of Nolan when you travel. We need to avoid the worst-case scenario."

That was simple enough. Jenkins handed Magic Miss a specially treated spiritual lodestone. Since the projection ritual was her own modified creation, she understood its meaning immediately.

Before they parted ways, Jenkins took one last, thorough look at the altar's details, then returned to Ruen. It was already late at night there. Under the cover of darkness, Jenkins sketched the altar in his room. The next morning at breakfast, he mentioned it to Alexia, hoping she might have time to help decipher its purpose.

"I'll take a look," she replied, "but don't get your hopes up. My expertise is in calculation, not archaeology or rituals."

she remarked, patiently spreading butter on a slice of bread with a knife.

"So I have to wait for Magic Miss? Isn't there a better way? With so many special numbered items in the world, surely one of them can answer a simple question, right?"

He paused as he spoke, then realized exactly where he needed to go to find his answer.

After breakfast and helping Dolores with some minor paperwork, he immediately took his cat and returned to Nolan. First, he found Magic Miss. Through her, he contacted Mr. Hood. And finally, through Mr. Hood, he got in touch with Mr. White Cat.

They met at noon, when the sun was unable to pierce the city's thick fog. The meeting point was Hess Bridge, a misty structure outside Nolan. The bridge was a necessary crossing for anyone entering the region from the southwest, but standing on it, one could barely make out the water below. It was a perfect spot for a discreet meeting.

"The Magical Conch? Oh, of course, I still have a few. You want to use one? Absolutely. No, no, I can't take your money, Mr. Candle. Last time, you came into that Mysterious Realm to save me, and I never had anything proper to thank you with. I feel terrible about it. Just take the conch. In your hands, its value will be far greater. I know you're a good person."

Mr. White Cat was exceedingly generous. After handing the conch to Jenkins, he walked over to Mr. Hood, who was waiting at the end of the bridge. It seemed the two of them were planning to go for a drink.

Magic Miss, who had been standing with Mr. Hood, nodded to Mr. White Cat and then walked onto the bridge to join Jenkins. She watched as he prepared to speak into the conch.

"Are you absolutely sure you want to use this conch?" she asked. "You must know how precious it is."

Last time, only Mr. Hood had received such a gift, as he was the only one who had participated in Mr. White Cat's failed operation.

"Of course I know," Jenkins replied, "but an item can only realize its true value when it's used."

Jenkins raised the conch to his lips and began to speak in a slow, clear voice.