Chapter 2151: Chapter 2151

Jenkins sensed it. Having fought the Scarlet Ephemera before in a divine state, he was intimately familiar with the creature. From the gaping hole in the house, he felt a power identical to the ephemera's.

The hole smashed by the blacksmith’s hammer was no accident. In a town with such predictable paths, the Difference Engine had calculated precisely which route Jenkins would take.

A wave of crimson light spilled out, and the old woman's head peeked through the opening. But what followed was not a human neck, but the segmented body of a metallic insect.

The moment his eyes fell upon the insect, Jenkins’s body was no longer his own. His elven and human bloodlines were warped by the laws of a higher dimension, transforming in a way that defied all understanding.

A golden light flashed across his skin. The coat he wore anchored his very form, allowing him to briefly shake off the influence.

At that moment, the entire town began to tremble. The blacksmith’s transgression had awakened it. Blood stained the once pitch-black sky as strange, powerful auras stirred to life all around them.

In comparison, the metallic Scarlet Ephemera was suddenly the least of his worries.

Jenkins knew exactly what he had to do: kill the metallic Scarlet Ephemera—the other interloper—and get out of here. Fast. Otherwise, the changes brought by the two outsiders would cause the town, which had slumbered for untold years, to erupt once more.

Just as the bell ringer and the church nun had feared, this would lead to catastrophic consequences.

He had no way to defeat the creature. The metallic ephemera didn't just overpower him; its ability to warp flesh and blood was only being held at bay by Oviya's coat.

"Do I have to rely on fate now?"

With a touch of resignation, he summoned the motes of light representing his abilities, his gaze fixed on the central one symbolizing [The Unknown Path]. But then he remembered—Alexia had given him a second chance, the ability to use one of his powers twice within a Mysterious Realm.

Instinctively, he reached into his pack to check if the "second chance" was still there. His fingers brushed against the small chocolate statuette Alexia had given him when he had first left the Mysterious Realm.

He kept one eye on the reviving metallic insect while studying the motes of light, but then his brow furrowed. He shifted his gaze to [Real Illusion]. While he held the chocolate statuette, the icon for [Real Illusion], normally greyed out and unusable, was now glowing.

"Chocolate and shadow..."

That wasn't it, of course. It was as if the ability itself was telling him that this was the moment to use it again. ᴛhis chapter is ᴜpdated by NoveI[F]ire.net

"But I haven't left a phantom anywhere. And even if I moved somewhere else, it wouldn't help me defeat the Scarlet Ephemera."

Despite his doubts, a powerful intuition—a gut feeling—insisted that this was his only option. He focused his mind on the glowing mote, and the chocolate statuette in his hand dissolved into a ray of light that shot into his forehead.

The shadow power of the Calamity Beast and the strange energy the future Alexia had imbued in the statuette instantly shattered the Mysterious Realm's restrictions. They linked directly to Jenkins's soul, causing a subtle transformation in [Real Illusion]—his ability as a Savior of the 18th Epoch.

A forest bloomed within his eyes. He saw it then. He had indeed left a shadow behind in the outside world—one he had never used.

And so, beneath the great tree in the Evergreen Forest, the suspended, white shadow flared to life.

Alexia, Audrey, and Brolignans, who had remained in the Evergreen Forest, all looked up at the glowing silhouette beneath the tree. A soft, white light radiated outward, bit by bit, until the entire forest was bathed in its glow.

Yet, strangely, even at the epicenter of the light, the three women could look directly into its core. They saw the phantom of a cat flicker past behind the figure, followed by the intricate patterns of geometry and formulae that were the signature of Alexia's full-powered [Mathematical Principles], which unfurled behind the suspended form.

Alexia said with a smile.

The light gradually receded, and the Saint's Shadow, which had hung there for half a year, finally vanished from beneath the tree.

Darkness once more fell upon the clearing, and with a loud splash, Jenkins dropped from beneath the tree, plunging headfirst into the pool. This was the second time he had left the Mysterious Realm. Thanks to the nature of [Real Illusion], both his body and soul had departed. However, since this was an "illegal" exit, it seemed that when he returned, his sealed abilities would remain sealed, rather than resetting.

Alexia, ever prepared, was already at the water's edge to pull Jenkins out. He'd "contaminated" the panacea pool again, even spilling some onto the grass as he climbed out. Fortunately, none of the three women present seemed to mind.

"Oh, Alexia, that chocolate statuette you gave me was a lifesaver. Absolutely brilliant."

He wiped the water from his face with his right hand, then glanced down at Alexia's hand in his. His mind drifted to the hand of the girl born from the blood cocoon just a short while ago. Of course, no one could guess the strange things running through his head.

As he dried himself off, he gave them a quick rundown of the situation he was in before gently pulling the petite woman into a hug.

"Has Finney returned?"

he asked, not forgetting about her.

Audrey replied, walking over as well. Alexia had already told them Jenkins would reappear, so she wasn't particularly surprised by his dramatic entrance.

Audrey and Brolignans were even less surprised that Jenkins had used the Saint's Shadow. After all, just a few hours ago in real-world time, he had summoned the Sage himself.

"So, what time is it now?"

"Eleven-thirty on Sunday morning."

"You've been waiting here this whole time?"

he asked, astonished. When he'd left the tower last, it had only been morning.

"Yes. I knew you would appear again."

Alexia said, rising onto her toes to hug Jenkins again:

"I'm glad you're not hurt. We're all waiting for you."

The trouble he faced was just as serious this time. It wasn't the Calamity Beast itself, but even if he could somehow manage to defeat a sliver of the Scarlet Ephemera's power, it would take far too long. And the town was already starting to reject him.

Though Jenkins longed to return to the church and see his cat, he knew time was short. He had to be back within three hours. Upon leaving, he had inexplicably grasped the temporal disparity between the ancient town's Mysterious Realm and the real world. Three hours here equaled roughly three seconds there—more than enough time for the Scarlet Ephemera to emerge from the house and kill him several times over.