Chapter 1978: Chapter 1978

"After we die, our bodies turn to ice and snow, returning to this world."

The old man shook his head.

"I originally thought you were just a very powerful Enchanter. I never imagined you were... Thank you for bringing them here."

He shook his head with a wry smile and extinguished the cigarette in his hand.

"Do you know who I am?"

"Of course not. But to have the power to restore memories to the departed souls in my Lord's world... I can only imagine... Thank you for your kindness, but death is like ice and snow—an unavoidable part of life for people like us. Death is like the bitter cold. Rather than fear it, it is better to say that death is a part of us, just as the snow is a part of us. Again, I thank you.

I didn't dare say it earlier, but when these two and the other person met me for the first time, I recognized that one of their companions was a Blizzard Malevolence."

The old man gestured toward Salsi II and the middle-aged guard.

"You know about the Blizzard Malevolence?"

"Then do you know about this?"

Jenkins asked, taking out the golden dagger. The old man nodded with a wry smile.

"Just as I thought. An old ritual tool, and also something the Blizzard Malevolence once used. It's a cursed item, but it can also prevent one from freezing to death on the snowfields. It's best not to use it. Using it will bring disaster."

"Do you know how to deal with the Blizzard Malevolence?"

"Destroy all of its weapons, and you can eliminate it permanently. There are usually four: one of gold, one of silver, one of copper, and one of iron. That's not easy to do in your world, but here, in its own domain, it's quite simple."

So that's why the Church records only mention how to banish the Blizzard Malevolence, not how to destroy it permanently, Jenkins mused. Perhaps most Cursed Items are immortal because their weaknesses don't exist in the material world at all.

"Is there anything else I should know about this creature?"

"Sometimes it's very difficult to distinguish them from ordinary people, but there's one weakness you can exploit. Toss a piece of silver—it must be high-purity silver—onto its shadow. The shadow will instinctively flinch away." ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ novel-fire.net

A look of understanding dawned on Jenkins's face. As an Enchanter, he carried all sorts of ritual components that might look like junk to the untrained eye. Among them, of course, was high-purity silver—a necessary ingredient for most divine arts.

"I understand. Thank you for your help."

"No, it is I who should thank you. After you find all your companions, please return through the temple as soon as possible. Once you have left, we can leave as well."

With that, Jenkins and his companions didn't linger and parted ways with the family of three. The old man and his family huddled together behind the massive boulder, and it wasn't until they were a considerable distance away that Salsi II quietly spoke to Jenkins.

"I may not be an Enchanter, but for us to randomly encounter someone who happens to know everything we need to know... that can't be normal, can it?"

"Of course it isn't normal. But don't overthink it. Someone is likely helping us."

He and the royal guard who had overheard their conversation scanned their surroundings, even glancing up at the sky as if expecting to see someone there.

"I don't know either. But I've heard that the ancestors of House Stuart have deep ties to the power of ice and snow, don't they? Perhaps your ancestors are helping you."

"No, that's impossible."

Despite his denial, the old king's face was flushed with excitement.

"How can we always rely on the power of our ancestors? Speaking of which, I saw my ancestor not long ago. He warned me through a mirror that our family must walk the correct path."

It seemed he had truly bought Jenkins's explanation.

Although destroying the four items of iron, copper, gold, and silver would defeat the Blizzard Malevolence, it also meant the ordinary people on this journey would lose their protection. So, Jenkins decided to find the temple first. After sending the others away, he would deal with the malevolence, which had since disappeared.

He summoned the metal book and sent the bronze mechanical bird, which could loosely share its vision with him, soaring into the sky. As the three of them descended the hill, the bird left the area and began circling high above the snowfields.

Funnily enough, the temple was located not far from where Jenkins and Chocolate had "landed" in this world. To be precise, if he had headed in the opposite direction instead of toward the hill, he would have spotted the shadows of the temple complex within about five minutes.

The temple appeared to still be in use. It wasn't dilapidated; on the contrary, it shimmered brilliantly in the sunlight against the snow. However, an unknown power was providing automated defenses around it. As soon as the bronze bird drew near, it was instantly dispersed into metal fragments that vanished before they could even hit the ground.

But at least he had found his target. Jenkins summoned his high stool and had the old king sit on it. He and the guard then grabbed the rungs on the sides of the stool and flew toward their destination at incredible speed.

The middle-aged guard's arm strength was clearly no match for Jenkins's. Less than five minutes after takeoff, his grip failed from exhaustion. In the end, Jenkins had to grab hold of him so the three of them could land safely near the temple.

"I don't know whose temple this is, but it most likely belongs to the master of this world. In a moment, you will follow me inside. Do not ask questions. Do not look around. Do not speak. Do not think. It would be best to close your eyes, cover your ears, and pretend you're a fool. In short, do nothing at all, and certainly do not try to examine the temple's interior decorations."

There was a clear distinction between a shrine, a temple, and a church—a fact Jenkins had heard many times during Papa Oliver's lessons on mysticism. Compared to the churches of the material world, the decorative style here was far more opulent and extravagant. The deeper one went, the more one could feel that the decor was designed to instill and maintain a sense of awe in all who entered.

After passing through two archways made of ice, a figure draped in a white, hooded cloak approached them. Their entire body was concealed by the garment, making it impossible to tell if they were a man or a woman. Fine, ice-blue threads on the cloak outlined the shape of a snowflake. Near the bottom hem, the color deepened to a darker blue, forming a water-like pattern along the edge of the fabric.

This must be a priest of the temple, Jenkins surmised.

"Please, follow me. These two will wait here."

The figure spoke the common tongue of the material world with a perfect, clear accent, so all three could understand. Salsi II looked worried, but Jenkins followed the cloaked person's instructions, leaving his companions behind as he ventured deeper into the temple.