Chapter 1762: Chapter 1762

Seeing the dense fog swell up once more, Jenkins immediately raised his finger to the sky. A deep rumble echoed from high above as the rain intensified, but a paleness crept over Jenkins's face. Covering the entirety of Nolan City was no simple feat—for a level seven Enchanter like him, it was a considerable strain.

"You should rest for a moment."

Miss Bevanna took the wavering Blade of Mist from Jenkins's hand.

"Leave the rest to us."

With those words, she flew toward the mass of gray mist, which was still trying to expand despite being beaten back by the rain. Just then, a heavy bell tolled from behind them. It sounded ancient, like a peal from some forgotten church, yet it also carried the somber tone of a funeral dirge.

Jenkins spun around and saw a line of spectral blue lights charging down the street. He soon realized it was a legion of undead knights, each shrouded in ethereal blue soulfire. It had been half a year since he'd last seen them.

"Looks like we'll be fine this time."

He breathed a small sigh of relief. A twitch of his ears drew his attention to the cat he'd left behind, now hopping toward him through the rain. Having been drenched twice in one night, Chocolate was clearly displeased. But once Jenkins scooped him up, magically steamed him dry, and carefully tucked him into his pocket, the cat's mood brightened considerably.

Without the protection of that bizarre egg sac, the Children of the Mist was ultimately no match for the Church. Pounded by the relentless rain, the fog pouring from the giant's body failed to re-form its gray, misty battlefield. Robbed of its home-field advantage, the creature suffered repeated attacks and harassment from all sides. Though its roars were loud enough to haunt the dreams of half the city, its inevitable defeat was drawing near.

Another bolt of lightning flashed across the sky, momentarily illuminating the city before plunging it back into darkness. Jenkins glanced up, a flicker of confusion on his face.

Since he was still maintaining control over the weather, he was exceptionally sensitive to the atmospheric phenomena. Even with his eyes closed, he could feel the winds summoned by the Enchanters on the distant battlefield. That last bolt of lightning, however, hadn't felt natural at all.

"Is the Church of Ocean and Exploration preparing a strike?"

He wondered, his ears twitching as he snapped his head up. From the direction of the giant, a sharp, distinct click echoed through the rain. It was the sound of turning gears, and based on his recent experiences, that sound meant only one thing...

The giant spread its arms wide, exposing its chest. It had no vital points to speak of, so the gesture offered the Church no advantage. But as it held its arms open, the face on its torso began to rapidly cave inward. The livid, bluish-gray "skin" smoothed out, revealing a metallic sheen beneath.

"This is bad!" ᴛhis chapter is ᴜpdated by NoveI~Fire.net

Before the Church members could react, the giant plunged both hands into its own chest and wrenched out a heavy chain forged from interlocking metal gears.

Jenkins had seen a chain like that before. Months ago, in the Docklands, he'd fought the pirate king Diwo. Diwo had animated his ship's entire steam system, and the steam-powered giant he created had wielded a very similar weapon.

The giant lashed out with the chain. A massive, translucent golden book materialized in front of Miss Bevanna, blocking the attack. Then, a demigod from the Church of Creation and Machinery, wearing a pair of gray, fingerless gloves, made a sharp grasping motion from the air. The gear-chain, still under the giant's control, suddenly veered off course and plunged deep into the earth, where it became stuck fast.

It looked as though the Church still held the upper hand, even with the new weapon. But Jenkins knew something was terribly wrong.

"The Gear Artisans' Guild..."

He scanned his surroundings nervously, then snapped his gaze upward, but it was too late. A bolt of black lightning shot down from the sky. The immense energy and concussive force struck from an angle, blasting away two floors of the building beneath his feet. Jenkins was flung sideways, sent flying half a block through the air, crackling with black electricity, before he hit the street, skidded, and rolled to a stop.

He pushed himself off the ground, his entire body shaking as the current spasmed through his muscles. The lightning was infused with the power of a Cursed Item, but the passive effect of his [Hero] ability countered it, causing black smoke to rise from his body in the rain.

Instead of immediately searching for his attacker, he frantically checked on Chocolate. Thankfully, the cat seemed to be resistant to electricity. Its fur was a little frazzled, but it was in far better shape than Jenkins was.

He got to his feet and looked up into the rainy night sky. A man in a black formal suit stood on the roof of the adjacent building, to the left of where Jenkins had just been. In his right hand, he held a black iron hammer covered in golden patterns that writhed across its surface like currents of energy.

Nearby Church Enchanter squads, noticing the commotion, began to converge on the location. The first to arrive were the Nightwatchmen from the Church of the Unlit Moon, their senses heightened by the darkness. A bearded man Jenkins didn't recognize moved to help him, but he waved him off.

"No need," Jenkins said, his voice strained. "Stay out of this fight. He's a demigod."

His eyes were locked on the man wielding the thunder hammer.

"So, I've finally found you, Jenkins Williams..."

The man looked down at Jenkins.

"Using the Children of the Mist to probe the Church's true strength... it was well worth it."

His voice was quiet, yet carried clearly through the rain. As he stared down at Jenkins, the black lightning pulsing from the hammer began to arc across his own body.

"You probably don't recognize me. It doesn't matter. I'm from the Gear Artisans' Guild. I never imagined you were actually an Enchanter, Williams. What is your position in the Church of Knowledge and Books? No... that's not important. Once I kill you, the cooperation between the Church and the three great kingdoms will most likely fall apart, won't it?"

"No, I recognize you."

Jenkins rose to his feet, his gaze fixed on the man and the small iron hammer on the rooftop. Black smoke, a byproduct of his [Hero] ability reacting with the Cursed Item's power, coiled up from his body. A faint golden light shimmered in the strange, rain-slicked night, illuminating his face.

He signaled to the Church Enchanter squads emerging from the surrounding streets, motioning for them to fall back and simply form a perimeter. His voice, clear and composed, cut through the downpour:

"That Bestowal you're holding... it belongs to the Church of Creation and Machinery, doesn't it?"

On the thirty-first day of the final time loop, Jenkins, in his divine state, had traced the origin of the [Gear Germs]. In doing so, he had glimpsed the schism within the Church of Creation and Machinery from many years ago. During that event, three Bestowals had been stolen by the defectors: C-08-2-5373, the [Mechanical Heart]; C-08-2-2218, the [Stopped Clock]; and the very same small iron hammer the man now held.

Historically, the hammer was a Bestowal. Now, it had degenerated into a Cursed Item, radiating a black spiritual aura—a fate similar to that of the [Mechanical Heart]. As for the man himself, Jenkins recognized him. He had been an associate of the middle-aged clock shop owner—the archbishop of the Gear King's cult, Lux Haripia—whom Jenkins had killed. This man was one of the first demigods from the Gear Artisans' Guild to arrive in Nolan.

"So you recognize it?"

the man declared, raising the hammer high into the rain. A bolt of pitch-black lightning slammed down from the sky, causing the crackling energy on the weapon to surge with terrifying power.

"Then remember its original name—C-08-2-5930, Thor's Wrath!"

A bolt of black lightning shot down with the hammer's descent, blasting toward Jenkins like a massive wave of energy. Mindful of the onlookers who hadn't yet retreated, he refrained from revealing his Titan's Power, instead grabbing his cat and leaping aside.

But in the rain, no matter how fast he moved, he couldn't outrun the arcing electricity. The left side of his body went numb from the shock, but the feeling returned almost instantly.

Using the chaos of the arcing electricity as cover, he ducked into a nearby alley, trying to buy time. He knew the Church would notice the commotion soon enough. There was no need for him to risk his life in a desperate fight; the Church would arrive shortly to deliver a dose of righteous punishment.

A dull thunderclap echoed overhead. Jenkins crouched, then launched himself upward with all his might. He seemed to fly out of the alley, landing on the wall of the neighboring two-story building. Kicking off a protruding stone, he propelled himself the rest of the way onto the roof.

The bolt of lightning that seared past him sent another numbing jolt through his entire body.

From his higher vantage point, he had a clearer view of the hammer-wielding man. The man tracked his movements and flew over, a sight that filled Jenkins with envy. He made a mental note: the very first ability he would learn after becoming a demigod would be flight.

A thick column of lightning blasted from the hammer once more, the black energy filling the air with an acrid, ozone-like stench. Jenkins leaped again, this time to the roof of a three-story building nearby. The spot offered a wide, unobstructed view of his surroundings.

"So what if you have that hammer?" Jenkins called out. "I'll bet you the Church's demigods will be here in twenty seconds, tops. No, they'll probably arrive before I even finish this sentence. Do you really think you can kill me in that time?"

"You shouldn't have wasted your breath on pointless chatter."

The man raised his hammer high, and a bolt of energy shot from his hand straight into the clouds. A pillar of black lightning instantly descended, connecting sky and earth. The raw power arcing outward made even the hammer's wielder tremble. The spectacle of light and shadow was now more eye-catching than the battle with the distant giant.

"I may not know your exact role in the Church, but I know you're the bridge connecting them to the royal family. To kill you... I am willing to pay any price!"