Chapter 2156: Chapter 2156

Jenkins smiled at them. The old elf, however, closed his eyes as tears streamed down his face. Of everyone present, only he had ever witnessed the true World Tree, and so, only he could feel the full weight of this moment.

Jenkins stepped away from the ritual circle, its light now faded. He picked up Chocolate—who had her eyes shut, body stiff and motionless as if pretending to be a doll—and placed her on top of Alexia's head.

"Bloodsource, Titan's Power, Cat's Grace, Vicious Morph, Four Seasons, and Dragon's Venom—all six of those abilities are gone. No new ones have appeared or changed."

He said this to Alexia, and though his words were just vibrations in the air, she felt an inexplicable pressure emanating from him.

Of course, the pressure vanished in an instant. The Jenkins before her was still Jenkins; that much hadn't changed.

Alexia raised a hand to steady the cat on her head, which was still playing the part of an inanimate toy.

"So, you've freed up six ability slots. That's a good thing. Were those abilities absorbed by the World Tree Seedling as nutrients for its growth? Four Seasons nurturing the World Tree—that's an even better sign. Your body must finally be able to somewhat match your soul... but are you a person now, or a tree?"

The petite woman asked with a hint of suspicion, though she was clearly joking.

Alexia took a deep breath while in his arms, a blush creeping onto her cheeks.

"Still human, I suppose."

Then, he nodded to the elf, the dragon, and the diviners.

"Our business here is finished for now. The World Tree's growth is sufficient for me to face the calamity of the blood moon. I need to go to the Sage's Church for something, and then I'll return to the tower. Time is short. Is anyone willing to give me a lift?"

No one spoke. It was obvious that Jenkins shouldn't be leaving just yet; he hadn't said a word about his cat. Everyone present knew that Jenkins had long believed his highly suspicious cat was just a normal kitten. But moments ago, he had clearly utilized the power of Chocolate, the Devouring Moon Spirit Cat, which meant he finally knew the truth.

So he should say something now, not try to make a quick exit.

But Jenkins acted as if he knew nothing, his expression perfectly normal as he looked at them.

The elf couldn't fly, so he was relieved this had nothing to do with him. The two diviners hadn't made up their minds yet and were studying Jenkins's face with suspicion.

The silver dragon broke the strange silence. She had seen through Jenkins's intentions, so she took his hand. After nodding to Alexia, the dragon pulled Jenkins into the air, flying off into the dark, ash-filled sky.

"Huh? Why didn't you take him back?"

Miss Audrey asked, confused.

"Audrey, don't you understand yet?"

Miss Brolignans said, feeling a touch of pity for her student.

"He's just avoiding it."

"Avoiding what... Oh, I see."

Miss Audrey looked at the cat on Alexia's head. It was still lying motionless on Alexia's soft hair, but it had cracked open one eye to peek at its surroundings, making sure Jenkins was truly gone.

"When did he find out?"

the young diviner asked again.

"A year ago, when he first adopted Chocolate, he definitely didn't know.

Six months ago, when Chocolate started showing her power, he probably didn't know.

A few months ago, when she started frequently entering his dreams, it would have been hard for him not to know.

The two times she appeared before Jenkins in the form of a girl with a fish-shaped hairpin, he absolutely knew.

And after what he just went through in those tower levels... if he said he didn't know, would any of you believe him?"

Hearing Alexia's breakdown, the cat on her head opened both eyes fully, shifted its body into a more comfortable position, and let out a mournful "Meow~" to express its feelings.

"He's the kind of person who, when living alone, checks for a displaced strand of hair on his door every time he leaves and returns. How could he possibly overlook the abnormalities of the cat right beside him? That's why Hathaway and I both agree that Jenkins has serious psychological issues."

Taking advantage of Chocolate's lack of mood for clawing, Alexia gently stroked her a few times.

"What kind of psychological issues?"

The old elf asked curiously. He truly hadn't noticed anything; to him, Jenkins seemed like a mentally sound elf.

"He's withdrawn, trusts no one, has a persecution complex, and suffers from selective intermittent depression."

Alexia listed them off one by one.

"Jenkins is depressed?"

Miss Audrey didn't believe that conclusion for a second.

"Depression doesn't just manifest as an inability to laugh. If you observe him carefully, you'll notice that when no one is around, Jenkins often does things with a completely blank expression. It might not be strictly defined as depression, but I believe it's part of his selective intermittent depression."

Alexia explained, trying to piece together a picture of Jenkins's fragile mental state by combining observations from the other women. ᴛhis chapter is ᴜpdated by N0veI.Fiɾe.net

"He feels like he has no one to rely on and believes that everything around him could be a threat. He thinks everyone is trying to pry into his secrets, so he has to put on an act, to play the role of 'Normal Jenkins.' He wants others to keep their distance, and he panics and pushes them away when they get too close. Do you really think he avoids social events entirely because he dislikes socializing?"

That was hard to say.

"Jenkins placed all of his trust in Chocolate. So if that one lifeline of trust were to be broken, he would likely fall apart on the spot. That's why he has to pretend he doesn't know anything—to maintain the facade of 'Normal Jenkins'."

As she spoke, Alexia looked into the distance. There was nothing unusual about her expression; the petite woman was confident she could correct her fiancé's problems.

The end of the ritual had allowed the thick fog to surge back, and looking up, they could see nothing at all.

"Honestly, I'm amazed Jenkins didn't become world-weary, develop schizophrenia, or start plotting to destroy the world. The appearance of Chocolate helped him a year ago when he was living in constant fear, giving him something to hold onto. Then came Hathaway, Briny, me, Dolores, Julia, Sigrid, and Jessica—one after another, people appeared who could bring warmth into his life. That's why he never went to extremes and still loves this world. Maybe the world itself is helping him—or maybe it's afraid of him, so it sent all these radiant ladies to his side."

Miss Audrey didn't call out her friend's little boast, instead gazing in the direction the silver dragon had taken Jenkins.

"While your analysis seems to have some merit, I still think Jenkins is psychologically fine. I'm his divination teacher, and I've been alone with him many times. He acts perfectly normal... Speaking of which, what is he going back to the church for? He won't find the Doomsday Document now. Damn it, he's going to miss it while it's in transit. We'll have to figure out a way to get it to him inside the Mysterious Realm."

"The Doomsday Document isn't that important. After nurturing the World Tree, he's already found the equation for victory."

Alexia used a metaphor befitting a mathematician, then looked somewhat wistfully in the direction Jenkins had gone.

"If only Jenkins had met me first, instead of Chocolate."

The sulking cat on her head immediately perked up, baring its teeth and claws as if to teach Alexia a lesson. Alexia just laughed. In truth, Jenkins's cat was just as easy to read as Jenkins himself.

"But Jenkins will have to face the truth sooner or later, won't he?"

Miss Audrey said, her voice tinged with worry.

"The moment he wins and returns to us is the moment he'll have to face it."

Alexia continued to stroke the cat on her head as the group walked toward the gate of the abandoned hospital ruins to inform the Church they could come in and clean up the mess.

Ever since Jenkins had dealt with the Corpse Gentleman, the strange atmosphere and power that had shrouded the abandoned hospital had vanished. Ash drifted down, blanketing the overgrown courtyard. Their shoes made a soft rustling sound as they stepped on the layer of ash, as if the ground had suddenly become soft.

"So, when the time comes, Chocolate will need our help."

Alexia said, and the cat on her head let out another glum "meow" in agreement. Getting Jenkins to accept the fact that the "simple and innocent" cat he'd raised was actually not so simple wouldn't be accomplished with a bit of cute behavior. So, she would need help from Alexia, Hathaway, and the others. It was at least better than Chocolate facing Jenkins alone.

Jenkins had psychological issues, and while those issues manifested as an excessive attachment to Chocolate, she still hoped he could become more normal. She had no intention of living out her life as a housecat.

"Where are you headed next?"

Members of the Orthodox Church filed past the group, heading in to deal with the ritual traces in the hospital courtyard. Miss Audrey directed her question to Alexia.

"Back to the church. I still have some things to do. That Mr. Pisco wants to talk to me about something, and as it happens, I have something to discuss with him as well."

Alexia did a quick calculation in her head. Jenkins was now on the sixth level, and the tower had nine. That meant it was almost her turn to take the stage.

"Also, tell the Church not to send the Doomsday Document back to their headquarters; they'll never catch up to Jenkins. Have them deliver those nine stone tablets to St. George Avenue instead."

"Why? Do you think Jenkins will come out again?"

Miss Audrey was quite surprised.

"Of course not. Twice was enough. He can't come out again, but someone else has a way to get in. I'm not saying the Orthodox Church is incompetent, but at a final junction , where all threads of fate converge, only those caught in the vortex of destiny can create miracles."