Chapter 2026: Chapter 2026

On the southern tip of the main continent, the great fire that had blazed for over a month now raged with even greater ferocity, consuming everything in its path. The protracted inferno had already devoured nearly all combustible material, but now, even the ash and thick smog born from the flames began to burn.

The Church had managed to contain the fire line, corralling the ocean of flames within a designated perimeter. But as the bell tolled, its chimes echoing across the material world, a month of arduous effort was rendered utterly meaningless.

The flames shattered the barriers, surging toward the very heartland of human civilization. Within the inferno, Crawlers and the Children of the Mist sprinted forth, clad in armor of black fog, their power swelling with the fire's every surge and ebb. Follow current novᴇls on noveⅼfire.net

At that moment, not a single corner of the world could see the sun's light. People paused their work, their faces turned upward to the obscured sky, oblivious to the true danger that lay right at their feet.

A great fire, a roaring inferno, much like the one that had devastated Cheslan, ignited half of Nolan's eastern mining district. The searing heat was so intense that the rain falling over the city vaporized into steam before it could touch the ground, blanketing the eastern sector in a unique, sky-obscuring shroud of white mist.

Meanwhile, the colossal black tower standing beside Nolan's central plaza was topped with flames that shot toward the heavens. Billowing black smoke then erupted from the seven seams of the eight-story structure, pouring out in every direction. Fortunately, the Church was well-prepared and swiftly contained the smoke around the tower, but in doing so, they completely shrouded the metal monolith in the dense fog.

The temperature around the tower skyrocketed by dozens of degrees within minutes. The ground became so hot that it vaporized all the water that had accumulated from half a day of torrential rain.

At the base of the tower, Brolignans and the others conducting the ritual were forced to retreat, causing an irreversible interruption. Yet, even as she fell back, she had already received certain revelations, her gaze repeatedly drawn to the tower now hidden within a pillar of black smoke.

The eight-story tower, already immense, was now so thoroughly concealed within the column of black smoke that it looked as if a new, colossal stone pillar had erupted in the center of Nolan, connecting the earth to the heavens.

The submarine eruptions whipped the already turbulent ocean into a frenzy, sending colossal waves crashing against the coastlines. Yet, within Nolan itself, a different heat was rising. Streams of fire from some unknown source coursed through the city's ancient mine shafts and hidden subterranean conduits, raising the surface temperature to the sweltering peak of midsummer.

All of this unfolded as Jenkins plummeted from the sky. He and the Church had long foreseen that, at some future moment, an action by the Difference Engine would signal the world's descent into an even more terrifying abyss. They simply never imagined it would come so soon, or that the cataclysm would begin in such a spectacular, horrifying fashion.

The third bell toll finally shattered the sky, its lingering vibrato echoing through the clouds. The descending unicorn managed to slow its fall just before impact, allowing both it and Jenkins to land smoothly, or at least without injury.

The surging sea of corpses had receded at some point, and now the squads of the Orthodox Church, the demigods, and all the Enchanters stood gathered on the street before the Sage's Church.

"Mr. Candle, we have to stop it! Stop it from speaking the third phrase!"

Jenkins had landed right beside Papa Oliver, who immediately grabbed his arm and shouted.

"Why the third phrase? Do you know something I don't?"

"I can feel it! The key is pulsating!"

"What does that mean?"

"It means something nearby is evolving, and the power of that evolution is so immense it's making my key resonate! We must stop it! Jenkins told me... it's pursuing apotheosis!"

Streaks of golden light shot past Jenkins and Papa Oliver, soaring into the sky. Every Church demigod and Saint who had witnessed the event was already flying toward the massive metal head.

"Jenkins is inside the church," Papa Oliver continued. "He's trapped by the defensive lockdown for now. The only Savior candidates who can act are you and Miss Fabry..."

"No," Jenkins corrected. "Miss Fabry can't make it. It's just me."

"Then you must be the one to stop it, Mr. Candle."

"Ring the great bell thrice!"

The declaration had already begun to echo forth. With his heightened senses, Jenkins could feel the immense power coiled within those words. Whatever the Difference Engine planned, he knew one thing with absolute certainty: that third phrase could not be allowed to echo across the world in its entirety.

He asked Papa Oliver.

"Don't ride the unicorn," the old man said, his voice grim. "It cannot withstand the Difference Engine's power. I will send you up there."

As he spoke, Papa Oliver thrust his entire right hand into his chest, right over his heart. Yet, not a single drop of blood spilled.

He twisted his wrist with great effort, and the two keys within Jenkins's body began to vibrate with an intensity he had never felt before. For a moment, he feared the Silver Spoon and the Gate Key would tear themselves from his very being.

With another twist of his wrist came a soft click, and Papa Oliver's entire presence transformed. A visible aura of spirit erupted from his aged frame, coiling around him like a cyclone and bathing the scene in a pale, golden light.

Jenkins had never seen Papa Oliver this powerful. His strength now completely surpassed that of a level-eight demigod. Though he possessed the standard number of abilities for a level-eight Enchanter, this extraordinary explosion of power was something Jenkins doubted even Miss Brolignans could achieve.

This was Papa Oliver's own demigod strength, amplified by the power of the Key of Evolution. But this power came at a price. As the strength sealed away by "Evolution" was unleashed, so too was the key's suppressed curse. Two chain-like black runes materialized on the old man's exposed wrists and face, and his eyes became shot with blood.

"I can't maintain this state for long," Papa Oliver rasped. "I can only get you up there."

"That's fine," Jenkins replied. "I'll figure out how to get down on my own."

He took the old man's hand. It was still weathered and wrinkled, but now he could feel the explosive power thrumming within it.

Papa Oliver crouched slightly, then launched himself into the air, carrying Jenkins with him. They rocketed upward, bursting through the thick fog, the falling rain, and every obstacle in their path.

The pupils of the metal head swiveled to track the two figures ascending from below. A bombardment of psychic force slammed into them, knocking them off course. Jenkins saw that blood was now streaming from Papa Oliver's eyes.

"Mr. Candle," the old man roared, "the rest is up to you!"

With that final roar, he hurled Jenkins even higher into the sky, then plummeted back toward the ground.