Chapter 1836: Chapter 1836

Jenkins had been taking his time with the matter of claiming the throne because he felt there was no need to rush. He believed he had plenty of time and was already confident that victory was in his grasp.

But things were different now. Knowing that the King Souls and his qualification as a Savior were at stake, he couldn't afford to delay any longer, no matter how he looked at it. He understood what was truly important.

"Tomorrow is definitely out of the question. It's midnight in just four hours. Do you really think Miss Windsor can be ready that quickly? Besides, you still have to inform the Church, and they will need time to react. Jenkins, don't be so impatient."

The petite woman, holding her teacup, moved to Jenkins's right side. The cat sprawled across his lap shot her a look of mild displeasure. Thɪs chapter is updated by N()velFire.net

"You're right, I can't be too hasty. Besides, I have important things to take care of tomorrow. The Dark Soul of the Four King Souls is still gestating, and the ritual to merge them isn't ready yet. Even if I obtained the Ice Soul right now, it would be useless."

"You're thinking about too much," Alexia remarked, her brow furrowed with concern. "Has the pressure been getting to you lately?"

"I heard from Julia that he's always rushing out the door right after breakfast and not returning until late at night," Dolores chimed in immediately.

"It's fine, I'm always . Besides, I have my ways of relieving stress."

Alexia asked. Chocolate immediately puffed out its chest with pride. The fronts of its forelegs were mostly black, which made the patch of white fur on its chest stand out beautifully.

"Of course not. It's by..."

Jenkins tilted his head and whispered in her ear. The petite woman's face flushed slightly, and she shot a warning glare at her student, silently telling her to keep quiet.

"This won't do at all. I know you're facing a great deal and have your own complicated plans, but you can't keep yourself so wound up. You'll burn out sooner or later. If you want the throne of the Fidektri Kingdom, then postpone things until later next week. A dozen days should be enough for Miss Windsor and the Church to prepare, and Dolores's father can help you as well.

This weekend, don't schedule anything. Take us out to the countryside for a while, just to unwind."

He saw the look on Alexia's face and nodded.

"Alright, let's all go to the Evergreen Forest. You and me, along with Hathaway, Briny, Dolores, and Julia. I'll clear it with the Church; I doubt they'll object to me bringing you all there. We'll go on Sunday, return to Maidenhaven Road on Monday, and I refuse to believe Newman's fiancée's family could possibly run into another gang of loan sharks in that time."

The petite woman smiled, satisfied, and leaned her head against Jenkins's shoulder.

Thursday arrived, the day he was scheduled to acquire the two sealed artifacts.

Jenkins appeared in the Evergreen Forest once again, in his guise as a Believer of Lies. The Orthodox Church was ready for him, the items prepared for the exchange. Since the two sides were temporary allies, the meeting was cordial and without incident. However, Jenkins couldn't help but express some doubt about the two boxes he was given.

"I realize that size doesn't always correlate with power, but to have both creatures you prepared for me in boxes smaller than the palm of my hand... isn't that a bit much?"

The two exquisite, lacquered wooden boxes were identical, down to their size and material. If not for the different patterns of the sealing runes and the loop of black yarn tied around one of them, Jenkins might have assumed the Church had found two identical strange creatures.

Judging by its texture, the yarn seemed perfectly ordinary, the same kind Mary used for the sweaters she knitted for the three Williams brothers every autumn.

"You gave us less than half a week's notice. We couldn't transport any of the larger or more difficult specimens from other dioceses in that time. But rest assured, these two will absolutely meet your requirements."

The one handling the exchange was a demigod from the Church of All Things and Nature. He patiently began to describe the creature sealed within the box:

"The container tied with the black thread holds a malevolent, lizard-like creature known as the 'Pale King.' The Church discovered this bizarre being in the year 1349, inside a temple on an island off the main continent's coast. We originally planned to classify it as a numbered item, but an ancient document found alongside it claimed this was no mere artifact. It was the descendant of some powerful entity.

To be specific, this lizard symbolizes 'White' and 'The Void.' Any physical matter it crawls over vanishes—completely and utterly. And this effect spreads, like white sap clouding a glass of water. No form of containment can do more than temporarily restrain its power. Furthermore, containment requires a black-colored object to be placed nearby. But the black... it fades."

The demigod pointed to the black yarn.

"Whatever you plan to do with this lizard, when you see that more than two-thirds of this yarn has faded to white, you absolutely must wrap the box with new yarn or black paper.

Also, do not attempt to release it against your enemies. The power to turn matter into a void is formidable, but it's a void that humanity simply cannot control. Even if you manage to re-contain the 'Pale King,' there is no way to stop the nothingness once it has begun to spread. This creature can destroy the world. I am not exaggerating in the slightest."

The demigod, whom Jenkins didn't recognize, wore a grave expression.

"Why are there so many dangerous things in this world?"

Jenkins muttered, gently pushing the cat back onto his shoulder as it craned its neck to get a better look at the box, keeping it from tumbling off.

"I've often wondered the same thing," the demigod sighed, "but that's simply the way the world is.

We who are responsible for its containment have tried to permanently exile it to the pocket dimensions between spatial rifts, or even banish it beyond the material world entirely. But due to its unique nature, no spatial ritual or ability has any effect on it, so we've had no choice but to keep it. We have been its wardens for 517 years. If we didn't trust you, the Church would never have brought this out."

"I'm very satisfied with this one."

Jenkins took the box. His eyes perceived a spiritual aura of black and blue, and he wondered just what sort of being it could be descended from.

"But I have no intention of looking after it long-term. I'll be returning it in half an hour. By then, however... it might have undergone a few changes. It will likely be unconscious for several months, or even years. You can investigate the specifics for yourselves."

His Blasphemous Creation ability only shattered souls; against a particularly resilient one, it might only cause damage rather than destruction. Jenkins had no intention of keeping this lizard and saddling himself with the thankless job of being its warden.