Chapter 1760: Chapter 1760

In the frozen rain, Jenkins held out his hands, his gaze fixed on the ground. He stood with his back to the woman, presenting the cat cupped in his palms as if it were an offering. The cat sat obediently, staring at the woman, while "Sigrid" watched the cat in silence.

“I’d like to ask for your help with my cat. I found him as a stray and gave him a potion to enhance his intelligence. But... I was hoping you could examine him for me.”

“You suspect your cat isn’t a cat?”

Chocolate remained in Jenkins’s hands, looking utterly innocent as it gazed at the woman with an adorable expression.

Jenkins shook his head quickly.

“Chocolate is a cat, of course. I just wanted you to check if the potion affected his growth, and... I was hoping you could tell me how much longer he has to live.” For origınal chapters go to noveⅼfire.net

The woman’s gaze fell upon Chocolate, her eyes scrutinizing. The cat grew anxious, trembling in Jenkins’s hands. A pang of sorrow hit Jenkins; he couldn’t even bring himself to look at "Sigrid," let alone imagine what his small cat was feeling. He could sense Chocolate's discomfort and fear. The little creature, more timid than a rabbit, must be terrified. But Jenkins knew he had to go through with this.

Silence stretched for a long moment as he awaited the answer. His request was not refused.

“It is quite healthy and should live for another fifty years or so. However, because of the potion, it will likely remain this size for a very long time.”

The woman smiled at Chocolate before turning her attention back to Jenkins.

“You are a child of nature. You must be more attentive to your pets. This cat will be of great help to you in the future, so treat it well.”

Jenkins nodded rapidly, smiling as he lifted Chocolate from his hands and placed the cat on his shoulder.

“As long as he can live until the day I leave this material world, I'll be at peace.”

He grinned, deliberately avoiding the woman's face and thus missing the profound expression that crossed it. On his shoulder, the cat turned to look at him, a strange emotion swirling in its large, amber eyes.

“I really must thank you for this.”

He let out a long breath, his thanks sincere. The news about Chocolate had truly put his mind at ease.

Sigrid asked, her voice filled with confusion. Jenkins looked up and understood instantly. The presence was gone.

“Huh? What’s going on with the rain?”

Then she touched her clothes.

“Why are my clothes completely dry?”

Sigrid’s summer habit wasn’t very thick, and Jenkins had felt a bit awkward when it was soaked with rain. Of course, the being he had just spoken with wouldn’t have stood there in such a state; the clothes had been dry from the very start of their conversation.

“Was... someone else just here?”

The realization finally dawned on her.

“It’s hard to explain what just happened, but I’ve obtained the power I need to defeat the Children of the Mist.”

He told Sigrid with a smile. She nodded happily and turned to walk with him toward the white portal nearby.

Just then, however, a voice called out from the other side of the stream. Jenkins remembered that the elf, Saramanda, was still there.

“Jenkins, please wait.”

“Oh, of course. What is it?”

He halted, and Sigrid, without a word, stood quietly beside him to wait.

“It has been an honor to meet you again and to administer this trial. Remember this: nature is all-encompassing. No matter what calamities the people of the material world unleash through their greed, nature will ultimately erase all traces. For in the end, nature was the beginning.”

Jenkins nodded, though he didn't really understand at all. He was about to leave when another thought struck him.

“Excuse me, is your lute a Bestowal?”

The elf held up the instrument he had been playing.

“It was originally an ordinary instrument. But when the Great One tasked it with the mission of playing for you here, it was transformed into a Bestowal.”

Jenkins asked, a bit sheepishly:

“Do you happen to know... if I'm meant to receive a Bestowal after every exploration of a Mysterious Realm?”

(Chocolate, running...)

Stepping out of the endless white light, Jenkins felt a wave of dizziness that faded almost as quickly as it came. He felt a hand steadying him, and from the gentle touch on his elbow, he knew it was a woman.

“Miss Audrey? How long were we gone?”

It was the same room they had departed from. Audrey and Professor Burns were still there, just as they had left them.

“That's hard to say. From my perspective, you've only just left.”

Which meant they had likely returned to the very moment they departed.

He nodded, but his relief was cut short when Professor Burns spoke.

“The World Tree Seedling...”

Audrey had wanted to ask the same thing but hadn't found the right words. Professor Burns, however, had a more casual friendship with Jenkins and didn't hesitate.

“I didn't get it. But I did acquire a new power, one that's strong enough to defeat the Children of the Mist.”

He explained, remembering to pull the cat from his pocket. Chocolate's fur was soaked through. Worried it might catch a cold, Jenkins quickly summoned a small flame to gently steam the fur dry.

“Then go, and do what you must.”

Audrey patted Jenkins on the shoulder.

“I'll cover for you. I'll say you received an insight from a divination. That way, no one will know what really happened here. I assume none of you want the details of tonight getting out.”

Professor Burns and Sigrid both agreed. There was no need for anyone else to know.

Jenkins smiled at his teacher and then said:

“I'll be on my way now. Don't worry about me. This time, everything will be fine.”

To his surprise, she embraced him in a very natural way. Jenkins started to leave, but then Sigrid turned and hugged him as well. Hers was not a simple, friendly embrace; it was deeply affectionate.

She released him and reached behind her neck, unfastening the black “metal block” she wore as a pendant.

“I haven't had a chance to properly thank you yet. So you have to come back safely.”

The blonde woman winked at him. Jenkins, not quite understanding, simply winked back and accepted the final third of the metal block. He then glanced over at Professor Burns, who looked at him quizzically.

“You don't expect me to hug you too, do you?”

Later, Jenkins presented his plan to confront the Children of the Mist to the Church, and was, as expected, denied. However, Audrey then approached the Church of the Sage, assuring them that Jenkins had acquired sufficient power. She employed a very clever line of reasoning in an attempt to persuade Bevanna.

And while her argument was compelling, Bevanna, ever wary of heretics, remained utterly unconvinced.

But it seemed fate itself was on Jenkins's side. Even as he spoke with Bevanna, the mist outside underwent another change. A dense fog blanketed the city districts, forcing a city-wide curfew for safety. The regular police patrols were suspended, replaced by the Church's Enchanter squads, tasked with keeping the city secure within the haze.

Then, about half an hour ago, reports began flooding in from all over the city: dense swarms of [Crawlers in the Fog] were appearing. The Church had already mobilized more forces into the city proper. Since the most elite church forces in the material world were already gathered around Nolan, this new development didn't spark a panic. However, if things continued this way, the Church would face a crisis of monsters overrunning the entire city long before the Children of the Mist could even emerge at dawn.

In light of this new development, a second plan was quickly drafted. The Church realized it was no longer possible to eliminate the threat with minimal losses. This time, they finally committed to a large-scale operation.

They would still use Series B Extraordinary items for support, but to be on the safe side, they specifically chose items of divine art, which offered the best defense against other numbered items turning into Cursed Items.

The core of the strike force consisted of twenty-four demigods and saints from the Twelve Orthodox Churches. And among them, the most crucial member was Jenkins.

After all, he held an extraordinary position within the Church of the Sage, and he was the Church's only candidate for Savior in this epoch. Not even the other saints could match his influence. Though Bevanna and a few others argued that he shouldn't risk himself, Jenkins ultimately convinced them all.

He would lead the operation. The other twenty-three members were there less to assist and more to act as his safeguard.

At Jenkins's request, the Church of All Things and Nature provided B-01-1-8374, the [Cloak of the Nature Spirit], while the Church of Ocean and Exploration offered B-04-2-2392, the [Boatswain's Lucky Headscarf]. Both items enhanced nature- or weather-related abilities and rituals. As for his main weapon, he would again use the [Blade of Mist]. Even when the Praying Maiden had turned into a Cursed Item, the blade had remained unchanged, proving its reliability.

After confirming the condition of the three items, Jenkins tied the silken, gossamer-like cloth around his waist and fastened the brown bandana to his arm. Finally, he tucked the hilt of the blade into his belt.

With the Cursed Item, the [Suffocating Praying Maiden], having been recovered, the gale-force winds that had been battering the city had ceased. Jenkins waited for the main forces to depart and spread out across the city. Once he received the signal, Bevanna took his hand, and once again, they soared into the sky.