Chapter 1456: Chapter 1456

The Jason family had moved to the remote town of Black Town three years ago from a distant city. They had gone to great lengths to build this house, but their purpose in moving here was not to enjoy the peaceful scenery of the countryside. Rather, Jason’s parents were conducting illegal rituals, attempting, away from prying eyes, to summon a “great being of terrible power” from some unknown dimension.

The diary did not mention whom they were trying to call forth. Jenkins suspected that the couple didn't even know what they truly believed in. But the ritual had clearly gone horribly wrong. They thought their attempt had failed, as it always did, but they had unwittingly made contact with a terrifying Abyssal One. The creature used this contact to cross into the material world, hiding in a closet and feeding on the fear of children until it finally took possession of the entire house.

“If I hadn’t shown up, that Abyssal One would have undoubtedly caused a great deal of trouble,” Jenkins mused. “I’ve never heard of anything happening in Black Town. Is it because it was too long ago, or did the local church discover something was amiss in time? Or perhaps... my very presence in this past is what prevented it from happening in the first place?”

Jenkins pondered this as he turned to the next page of the diary, only to find it blank. Tucked between the pages, however, were a few sheets from an old, thread-bound book.

“So this is where they were.”

He murmured, holding the diary in his left hand as he picked up the loose pages with his right. His eyes snapped open, and he shot up in his bed once more.

He muttered to himself, placing the pages of “The Man in the Closet” on top of the four stories he had already acquired. He then summoned the orbs of light representing his abilities and saw that one of the three empty bubbles was now occupied:

[Aura of Fear (Yellow Spell)]

With that thought, he stroked his cat, who had been acting strangely all evening, and got out of bed again.

Aura of Fear was by no means a rare ability. The ritual to learn it was not particularly difficult, and while the required materials were expensive, they were a bargain compared to those needed for truly uncommon powers.

However, very few human Enchanters went out of their way to learn it. For one, its effectiveness depended not only on one’s level and the amount of Spirit they possessed but also on their mental fortitude. More importantly, the Aura of Fear’s area of effect was uncontrollable; once activated, it would impact every sentient being within range, aside from the caster themselves.

This was a major drawback. Using it in a city was tantamount to inciting a riot. In the wilderness, one had to account for allies and even the presence of nearby wildlife.

Furthermore, the Aura of Fear lacked any direct offensive or lethal effects, making it unremarkable among similar abilities. Consequently, few actively sought to learn it. The ones who typically possessed such a power were naturally occurring malevolent spirits or solitary necromancers.

“Well, it was free. If a better option presents itself, I can have the Church in Nolan find me a bottle of River Styx Water when I get back.”

With this in mind, he shuffled out of his room in his slippers, crossed the courtyard, and entered the church’s main nave. Instead of heading for the main entrance, he walked down a corridor to a side hall. He knocked and was met by the Gravedigger captain on night duty.

“Williamette? Oh, good evening. Can I help you with something?”

He was one of the two Gravediggers who had “welcomed” the party from the airship at the lake earlier that day, so he still recognized Jenkins.

“I was hoping to ask you something. Has an Abyssal One ever appeared in this area? Yes, that terrifying type of creature. I just had a very disturbing dream. I’ve studied divination under a demigod seer, and my dreams sometimes grant me insights.”

He offered this explanation, and perhaps because he dropped Audrey’s name, the man, though skeptical, accepted his story.

“A terrifying creature like an Abyssal One, in a remote place ? If I recall correctly, the Abyssal Ones were banished by the gods long ago. They can’t enter the material world on their own—only through human contact or summoning. That could never happen here in Black Town.”

The Gravedigger replied confidently.

The past was lost to history. What troubled Jenkins was not the Abyssal One itself, but the fact that the Jason family’s rituals had never succeeded before. Yet, their very first attempt after moving to Black Town had managed to summon that dreadful entity.

He refused to believe it was a coincidence, which meant this land still held buried secrets. The story “The Devil Between the Fingers” had already given him a clue, confirming his suspicion that something significant had once occurred in Black Town’s past.

It was now eleven o’clock. Though only four hours had passed in the normal flow of time since dinner, it felt like several days to Jenkins. After checking on Chocolate again, he opened the sixth story. This time, it was not a chilling, terrifying legend, but an ordinary love story titled “The Night Before the Wedding.” Read full story at ɴovelfire.net

He snapped back to reality to find himself in his pajamas, standing on a red carpet surrounded by townspeople in formal gowns and suits. Ahead lay the wedding venue, where a band was already playing the timeless wedding march.

He had no idea what era this was, but he could understand the language the attendant was using and could even manage a few words himself. It was an ancient human tongue Papa Oliver had once taught him, a language used in the 18th Epoch only for certain unique spells.

Knowing his attire was completely out of place, he shook his head at the attendant and quickly strode away from the estate. Once he found a secluded spot, he changed his appearance and outfit, then vaulted the wall to re-enter the grounds.

Though it was supposedly a love story, its inclusion in the *Black Town Secret Records* meant it was unlikely to follow a conventional narrative.

Jenkins snuck into the estate’s courtyard, dodged past the celebrating townspeople, and went straight into the manor. Outside the bride’s room on the second floor, he knocked a maid unconscious when she spotted him, then pressed his ear against the door to listen in.

Inside were the bride and groom, the main characters of this little tale. The entire story unfolded within this room, with the splendor of the wedding outside described indirectly through the couple’s dialogue as they gazed out the window.

The estate belonged to the bride’s family; the groom was a penniless outsider. That was the reason for the conversation happening behind the door—they were finalizing a prenuptial agreement regarding their assets.

Confirming he had found his targets, Jenkins took a step back and let out a loud, theatrical cough. Just as he expected, the voices inside fell silent. A moment later, the groom, dressed in wedding tails, opened the door and saw the strange man standing outside.