Chapter 1402: Chapter 1402

Those words shattered the sliver of confidence Jenkins had just managed to recover, plunging him into utter despair. More terrifying still was the realization that the entity was telling the truth—destroying the body before him would do nothing to prevent Nolan's doom.

Reading the despair on Jenkins's face, the man pinned to the wall struggled to lift his head.

"If you can't accept this outcome," he said, "you can come find me at the clock tower anytime after you've destroyed this body. I look forward to witnessing the end with you."

Then, the body began to convulse violently again, as if struck by lightning, before the small warehouse fell silent once more.

Jenkins stepped forward and touched the body secured to the wall, confirming that it was still alive. But it was just an empty shell; the original soul was long gone.

"To think it would come to this."

But this wasn't over. When Jenkins had been drawn here, he had seen a white spiritual glow, not the colored motes of light that signified an Enchanter's ability. This meant the blinding spiritual light that had attracted him wasn't coming from the soulless body, but from a Bestowal hidden nearby.

It was an utterly unremarkable stone brick, sitting plainly in a corner of the room. Given the warehouse's dilapidated state, the brick looked perfectly in place. No one, save for a chosen one who could sense Bestowals, would ever guess what it truly was.

Jenkins carefully navigated through the clusters of candles, stooped down, and picked up the stone brick. Its weight felt normal, but it had the distinct, smooth texture of jade.

He hesitated for a moment before forging a connection with the whistle, then placed it to his lips and blew softly. A clear, pleasant note echoed, and a sudden gust of wind stirred through the otherwise windless city.

The wind soon swept into the small warehouse, causing the flames of the countless red candles to flicker and dance, yet not a single one was extinguished.

Borne on the wind was a pale blue spiritual phantom. It wore a floor-length robe, its face obscured by the kind of featureless mask often worn by priests.

Jenkins asked. He had assumed the whistle was something left behind by the poor soul on the wall before his spirit was shattered.

"I'm sorry, I don't understand."

"Where you find a venomous viper, an antidote herb often grows nearby. Likewise, within a doomsday illusion, a method to end it always exists. The Master is merciful; all of this can be avoided. Be it a Mysterious Realm or an illusion, this city of doom has a solution."

The voice seemed to drift from the edge of the sky. The last time Jenkins had heard someone speak like that was the old priest in the ice castle.

Jenkins mulled over those words for a long moment before he understood.

"Logically, what you're saying makes sense, but... I don't understand. Why was I the one to find this whistle, right here and now?"

He glanced at the man hanging on the wall, his meaning clear. At the same time, he was silently grumbling about how masters of other worlds always seemed to love pulling these kinds of stunts. "This all feels far too orchestrated."

"There are no coincidences in this world, only inevitabilities. My presence has made this area the most concentrated place of spirit in the city, which is why it is the most suitable location for a ritual within this city of doom. I did not choose to appear here; rather, someone chose to perform a ritual here."

"Did the Master arrange for you to wait here?"

Jenkins asked. The entity hesitated for a noticeable moment.

"You actually know of the great ones who control the worlds."

"In fact, it's more complicated than just knowing... In that case, can you tell me how I'm supposed to save this city of doom? Or is it something you can handle yourself?"

"I am not a being of the material world, so I cannot interfere with anything here. I can tell you the method, but you must be the one to carry it out."

Jenkins had been waiting to hear just that.

"Sound the horn of doom from high above the city, and its destruction shall bring forth a blessed sound. In the darkest moment, let a new light illuminate this world. When that blessed sound spreads throughout the city of doom, all of this will collapse, and a new light shall guide the future of the material world."

"Um... could you please be a bit more direct?"

The pale blue phantom nodded and switched to a different explanation. "Fly into the sky and blow that whistle with all your might until it shatters. The sound of its destruction will herald the destruction of the doomsday city. This sound will cause that moon to fall, plunging this place into a terrifying darkness. At that moment, you must use light generated from any Extraordinary power to illuminate the city. Then, this place will meet its end, and the light you raise will become a Bestowal—your reward for destroying this doom."

Jenkins understood this much more straightforward explanation, but he still had a question. "But I think flying is forbidden here..."

"What method of flight have you used in the past?" The source of this content ɪs NoveI★Fire.net

The blue phantom repeated, hesitating. It sized Jenkins up for a moment before asking, its pace quickening slightly:

"A male... You have the blood of High Elven royalty? Which clan are you from?"

"Sorry, I don't know what you're talking about. My bloodline comes from my ancestors, who were half-elves."

He explained simply, his interest piqued by the topic.

"Are you saying that even male elves can't normally touch a unicorn?"

"Only pure maidens, young children, or royalty of the High Elves are worthy of being borne by a unicorn. That is self-evident. Clearly, your elven bloodline must be a noble one. How fascinating. I haven't seen a High Elf since I followed my master to the other shore. The scent of this bloodline is... hmm? A descendant of priests?"

"Yes, you must be a descendant of the priests among the elven race."

The phantom figure nodded with certainty, then continued:

"The no-fly rule in this city of doom is easily surpassed. Since your mode of flight is a unicorn, it will be even easier. A unicorn itself is a nobler transcendent being than ordinary supernatural creatures. An adult's horn even has the power to break certain rules. I imagine your mount is not very old and hasn't mastered all the secrets of its kind as an adult unicorn has. Therefore, before the unicorn attempts to take flight, you must help it better understand its own power."

"What do I need to do?"