Chapter 1502: Chapter 1502

"I'm glad you're okay."

Seeing that Chocolate was unharmed, Jenkins finally breathed a sigh of relief. He turned to survey his surroundings and saw Miss Capet lying not far away, while the mosquito-faced monster was to his left, slowly beginning to stir.

Jenkins had never been one for chivalry, and he certainly wasn't about to wait for the monster to fully recover before resuming their fight. He summoned his cane, gripping its head with both hands, and strode over to the creature. He planted his right foot on its disgusting head, then thrust the butt of the cane deep into its skull with a powerful surge of force.

Even with the power granted by a strange, Cursed Item, a wound like that was enough to kill the powerful monster. However, the power of the arcane lock had not been broken. Even if Jenkins had the inclination to burn the corpse to ashes, it would eventually revive. Therefore, their expedition absolutely could not stop here.

Only after killing the monster did he have time to check on Miss Capet. She had taken a hard fall, but thankfully, being a healer herself, and with Jenkins's help, she quickly recovered. New ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄhapters are published on novel fire.net

Their other three companions were gone. They now found themselves in what looked like the manor's drawing room. But this equally massive hall was devoid of any furniture; the polished floor didn't even have a carpet. Only a fireplace on the wall near the door burned fiercely with red flames. This, combined with the blood-red smoke that filled the air, made the room feel more like the red hell Jenkins had once experienced in a Mysterious Realm than any other place they had been so far.

They didn't leave through the door immediately. While examining the monster's corpse, they found a ring on its severely deformed right hand. Having learned about Count Paramont's family before entering the manor, both Jenkins and Miss Capet recognized it as the engagement ring of the count's youngest son.

The engagement rings of nobles of this rank were always custom-made; no two were ever alike. Considering this was a man's ring, they could basically confirm that the monster from before was the younger Paramont.

"I knew there couldn't be any survivors in this manor, but to die in such a state... it's just too cruel."

After leaving the room, they once again found themselves in a labyrinth of treacherous corridors. Jenkins tried to use his eyes to search for the spiritual aura of the culprit or their three companions, but whether due to the peculiar spatial structure of this place or the suppressive nature of the arcane lock, he could see almost nothing at a distance.

"This situation... it feels like we're back to exploring the Mirror World, just like a few months ago."

Miss Capet remarked with a sigh as she walked. She was positioned slightly behind and to the right of Jenkins. Because of the flickering candlelight from the corridor ceiling, the cat on the man's shoulder before her seemed to have vanished completely into the shadows.

"Please don't say that. If it's really like that adventure in the Mirror World, who knows what kind of strange thing we'll run into at the end."

Jenkins reminded her nervously, then hesitated for a moment before asking:

"By the way, if it's not too much trouble, could you tell me why the Church suddenly transferred you to Bel Diran? I'm really curious... Of course, you don't have to say if it's inconvenient."

"To be honest, I'm curious too. There was no warning whatsoever, and then suddenly I was transferred to Bel Diran. I asked for the reason, but the reverend mother who was in charge of receiving me in Bel Diran just told me to wait patiently."

Miss Capet replied, bewildered.

His Lie Godhood gave no reaction; she was telling the truth. She was completely unaware of her own lineage right now. Naturally, just like Jenkins not long ago, she could never guess that this had anything to do with the throne of the Fidektri Kingdom.

Miss Capet was also a descendant of the Williams family. By blood, she and the three Williams brothers shared the same great-grandfather, making her, in a sense, Jenkins's cousin. She also possessed one-third of the World Tree's seed. In terms of the line of succession, her claim was nearly equal to Jenkins's.

For the Church of All Things and Nature to suddenly summon Miss Capet to Bel Diran at such a sensitive time, there was reason to believe the Church was fully aware of her identity and, just like the Sage Church, was hoping for something to happen.

Jenkins walked silently ahead of Miss Capet, debating internally whether to tell her everything. It would undoubtedly provoke a reaction outside of everyone's plans, though Jenkins didn't particularly care about that.

The interplay of light and shadow blurred their retreating figures, mirroring the complexity in Jenkins's heart. He was now beginning to understand how those around him who had kept secrets for so long must have felt. Sometimes, knowing the truth was more painful than not knowing. At least the ignorant didn't have to constantly dwell on the potential consequences of that truth.

The cat on his shoulder let out a soft meow. Pulled from his contemplation, Jenkins stopped thinking and looked ahead. A suit of metal armor, completely entwined in bloody tendrils, was blocking the path, kneeling on one knee. As Jenkins and Miss Capet came to a halt, the armor slowly rose to its feet, then reached out and pulled a long metal spear from where it was embedded in the floor.

"Why do rich people always like to keep such deadly weapons in their homes?"

Jenkins asked in a low voice. The lady behind him, of course, did not answer the question.

He flicked his wrist, once again pulling his cane from thin air. The suit of armor seized the opening, gripping the spear with both hands and leaping into the air. In a posture that defied the basic laws of physics, it pulled back its arms mid-air, charging up its attack, then lunged toward them, the tip of its spear crackling with lightning.

The corridor was narrow, making the attack impossible to dodge. Miss Capet stepped forward, raising her hands, and a pale green light formed a transparent shield in front of them. Jenkins reached out and rather brusquely pulled Miss Capet behind him. At the same time, the armor and its spear broke through the shield with ease, as if it were nothing more than a pretty bubble.

He raised his left arm at the last possible second, deflecting the spear's shaft toward the wall. But in doing so, his arm made contact with the lightning at the spear's tip, and half his body went numb. Jenkins gritted his teeth and pushed through the paralysis, continuing his motion to circle around to the armor's right. As the spear plunged deep into the wall and the armor stumbled, unable to check its momentum, Jenkins thrust his cane fiercely into its back.

The inside of the armor should have been empty, but as the cane pierced it, it felt as if he had stabbed into sticky flesh. Jenkins didn't dwell on it. Flames streamed from his arm, down the cane, and erupted inside the armor.