Chapter 1396: Chapter 1396
As it happened, Mr. Rossier, a demigod from the Ruen diocese, was also in the city today. He had somehow heard about the events in Nolan and, seeing Jenkins disconnect from the Basin of Delusions earlier than expected, asked what was going on.
Jenkins explained about the inverted city that had appeared in the sky. After a moment of thought, Mr. Rossier revealed that he had actually heard of such a phenomenon.
"It's not very common, but it's not unheard of, either. It's just that it's never happened on this scale before. Jenkins, have you ever heard of A-3-01-2077, the 'Cloud Island'?"
Jenkins admitted, shaking his head.
"It's perfectly normal that you haven't. It's not well-known, though it's often seen by ordinary people. A-3-01-2077, the 'Cloud Island,' is a phenomenon that's only ever witnessed over the ocean or in the desert. The manifestation is that people spot an inverted island behind the clouds. However, because it so closely resembles a mirage, sightings by common folk have never sparked any significant discussion."
"So, that island is actually a separate space outside the material world?"
"Yes. It's an island floating just outside the spatial barrier of the material world, constantly approaching it, only to be repelled by the barrier itself. This results in the Cloud Island being sighted at fixed intervals, with each sighting marking the point when the island is closest to our world. The time and location of A-3-01-2077's appearance can be regularly predicted through astrology and divination, making it almost a natural phenomenon."
"So it's like a periodic comet..." Jenkins coughed. "Does this mean that the inverted city in Nolan's sky is a sign that the doomsday Nolan is now very close to reality?"
"That is indeed the case, which makes the current situation quite troublesome. But there's no need to worry. I've heard Nolan has endured several major disasters in the past six months. The diocese has accumulated plenty of experience, so I believe this matter can be resolved."
Mr. Rossier said optimistically. Jenkins, however, did not share his optimism. The person who had resolved most of Nolan's disasters over the past six months still had no good solution in mind.
He lingered at the church for only a short while before returning to Dolores's estate. After briefly updating Alexia on the situation in Nolan, he immediately projected himself to the country villa, where Magic Miss was already waiting for him.
"This is not my fault! The ritual was flawless! And what took you so long to show up?"
Magic Miss exclaimed the moment she saw Jenkins walking up the mountain path.
"I know it's not your fault. It seems the Old Man of the Clock Tower had other tricks up his sleeve. As for why I'm only here now... I ran into some trouble. Could you invite me inside to talk? It's freezing out here tonight."
Magic Miss, from her mountain villa, had been closely monitoring the situation in Nolan and had witnessed the entire process of the inverted city's appearance. Like Mr. Rossier in Ruen, she had also seen the file on A-3-01-2077, the 'Cloud Island,' and had immediately understood the cause and effect of the event.
"The Old Man of the Clock Tower must have realized someone was destroying his beacons, so he used some unknown method to accelerate the fusion of the two worlds. But my ritual was effective; the beacon was ultimately damaged, which is why doomsday Nolan couldn't descend completely right away."
"The question is, what do we do now? Oh, good evening, Silver Flute Miss."
Silver Flute Miss, the temporary mistress of the villa, came out to greet Jenkins. She didn't quite understand what the two of them had done, only that the current situation was inextricably linked to them.
"The Church should have anticipated this. I've observed that in the hour since the doomsday city appeared, it hasn't shown any signs of accelerating its descent. So, the best course of action right now is to wait for the Church to handle it. We should trust in the power of the Orthodox Church. Remember a week ago, when a few of you rushed around all night trying to protect Nolan from those aberrations, only for the Orthodox Church to resolve the matter in the end?"
Magic Miss hadn't been involved in that incident, so it was most likely Silver Flute Miss who had told her about it.
"I'm not going to just sit back and do nothing. I've been involved in this from the start. After things have gotten to this point, I can't just wash my hands of it."
"But the reality is, there's nothing you can do. Besides the insane act of re-entering the doomsday illusion to kill the Old Man of the Clock Tower, what else is there? We're just mortals; we have no way of dealing with a large-scale spatial incident."
Magic Miss said, her lips pressed into a thin line.
"Actually, there might be another way."
Silver Flute Miss, who had been standing to the side, interjected. Seeing them both look at her, she explained:
"I remember Mister Candle saying that besides me, two others who entered the Mysterious Realm survived. You found one of them and learned he was cooperating with the Old Man of the Clock Tower, which led to this situation. But what about the other person? Did he leave the Mysterious Realm through conventional means, like I did, or was he also involved in some conspiracy?"
This was indeed worth considering. While pursuing this lead might not yield results, it was better than doing nothing at all. Magic Miss decided to go with Jenkins. The two of them set out again, heading for the country house of the man they had previously forced to reveal a great deal of information.
He was in the same severely traumatized state as when they had left him last time, barely reacting to questions or conversation. Magic Miss was forced to use an incantation on him once more.
"I'll ask again. Among you and your friends, did anyone else besides you escape the Mysterious Realm? If you don't answer, I will throw you back into that terrible place."
Jenkins threatened, his hands pressing on the man's shoulders. The first part of his question had little effect, but the final threat at last brought a new expression to the man's vacant eyes.
"I don't want to go back there! It's the ultimate darkness, the final doom, it's..."
"I don't care what you went through. Now, answer the question I just asked."
"I... I only know that I got out." Nᴇw ɴovel chaptᴇrs are published on novel·fıre·net
Jenkins glanced back at Magic Miss, who then asked:
"There were five of you in total, you and your friends. What happened to the other four?"
"Roche was killed by a monster right after we entered the Mysterious Realm. We never even found his body. Herl touched something he shouldn't have and turned to ash right before our eyes. Spenser died in... died in that ultimate darkness. I'm sure he's dead..."