Chapter 222: Chapter 222

"Sir, what will be done with the monsters?"

Jenkins inquired again, his gaze sweeping over the surrounding cells. Most were empty, but a few still held similarly dreadful creatures.

"According to the documents we seized from the residence of that Ashiash family descendant, these things are the byproducts of failed transformations," Bincy explained. "The plan was to unleash them on the day the demon descended to create a bit of chaos, but they never got the chance... because they ran into you."

A muscle in Jenkins's jaw twitched.

"I didn't even do anything," he thought. "He failed to recognize I was an Enchanter and came after me first."

As the thought crossed his mind, he glanced down, only to find that his black leather shoe had landed in a puddle of some unidentifiable, semi-liquid substance. Mixed with the dirt, it presented a revolting appearance and a disturbingly soft texture underfoot.

His mood soured instantly.

"These creatures will be turned over to the Church of Death and End," Captain Bincy stated, "where they will be granted eternal death."

Captain Bincy continued their conversation, seemingly unfazed. Despite the dim light, he navigated the floor with an uncanny ability to avoid the filth on the ground.

Captain Bincy explained to Jenkins that the owners had excavated such a large area that they had nearly breached the river embankment. The house itself was located in a district near the river, and the city would never have permitted the construction of a basement in such a location.

The corridor opened into a circular chamber with pitted, uneven walls. In the very center, a ring of hay bales and bones had been arranged, leaving only a single, narrow opening.

A desiccated corpse hung suspended in the middle of the circle. Iron hooks descended from the ceiling, piercing its limbs and neck. Jenkins made no move to enter, and Captain Bincy's stern expression made it clear he wouldn't be allowed to.

From a distance, he could see a fire crackling beneath the corpse's feet. The snapping firewood cast its massive, distorted shadow onto the stone ceiling high above.

It was impossible to determine the corpse's sex; its wicked captors had subjected it to horrific alterations. The genital area was unnaturally smooth, devoid of any features. Its skin, coated in some unknown oil, had a silky texture and a sheen so pronounced it nearly reflected the firelight.

The corpse's eyes were sealed shut, its nose had been gouged out, and two curved ram's horns were embedded on either side of its forehead. To Jenkins's Eye of Reality, the body emanated a faint, black spiritual glow.

So, it was possible to create temporary, supernatural items through ritual, Jenkins realized.

"Praise the Sage. May Your brilliance illuminate the path before me." The latest_epɪ_sodes are on_the novel⦿fire.net

Witnessing the horrific scene, Jenkins softly recited the prayer and traced the holy symbol over his chest.

Captain Bincy informed Jenkins that, based on the interrogations so far, the demon summoning had begun three years ago. After three years of effort, the damned cultists had actually managed to summon two greater demons from a dimension they called 'Magma Hell'.

But just as they were hatching their next plot, Jenkins reported the demons for granting a contract to a human, which led to their swift destruction at the hands of a visiting Saint.

And then, the central figure in the summoning, the Ashiash descendant himself, had an unfortunate encounter with Jenkins. It was for the most ridiculous of reasons—young Abbott had uncovered some clues and, wanting to report them to the Church, approached Jenkins at a banquet. The summoner, seeing Jenkins as an obstacle, attempted to eliminate him... and ended up being killed himself.

Captain Bincy spoke in a low voice, full of admiration for Jenkins's recent deeds, believing them to be proof of the Sage's blessing and protection over him.

As Bincy spoke, Jenkins activated his special vision and scanned the area. The chamber was filled with faint, mottled spiritual auras, but his eyes were drawn to one spot—a cracked section of wall, where a square, red object was embedded.

The crack wasn't obvious; the walls here were riddled with similar fissures due to the shoddy construction. The fact that the ceiling hadn't caved in suggested that perhaps a follower of some god of fate had been among the builders.

This place would undoubtedly be sealed off for a long time. Besides, Jenkins wouldn't dare possess an item discovered under these circumstances. There was no point in being greedy.

He feigned interest, following Captain Bincy along the wall as they circled the room, listening to a brief, grim account of the ritual that had taken place here.

He let out a small cry of surprise. His pocket watch had slipped from his pocket.

Smiling apologetically at Captain Bincy, Jenkins bent down to retrieve it. As he straightened, he paused, tilting his head with a look of confusion as he stared at the crack in the wall before him.

"Sir, my apologies. Perhaps I'm just being overly sensitive, but... I have a feeling there's something inside this crack."

After that, Captain Bincy, who had complete faith in Jenkins, summoned a few specialists. After carefully excavating the area around the crack, they unearthed a hard, black stone slab embedded in the earth.

The slab was a perfect square, set neatly within the soil. It didn't look as though it had been placed there, but rather as if it had always been a part of the earth. The stone was pristine, its color deep and uniform. Its surface was unnaturally clean, as if it had been polished and scrubbed, free of any dirt or grime.

A short poem was carved into the slab in the common tongue of the realm. As the flame from a kerosene lamp cast its light upon the stone, everyone present—Jenkins included—was seized by an inexplicable compulsion. In strange, synchronized tones, they began to read the words aloud:

"The Eighteenth Epoch draws now to its end,

The fabled Savior on fate's stage descends;

The prologue's done, the opening act is nigh,

As twin demons step beneath the sky.

He wears a cloak as black as starless night,

Beneath the gaze of one of awesome might,

And with a wild laugh, hails a new god's birth.

The god declares, 'Since it is you, press on;'

The people plead, 'O remnant of disaster, be gone.'

A wandering shadow looks toward the clock tower's face,

When the voices ceased, the dozen or so men and women fell into a stunned silence. The spell was only broken by the sharp clatter of a shovel slipping from someone's grasp. Then, a trembling voice cut through the stillness:

"Is that... B-12-5-0001, the Doomsday Document? Does this mean... the Epoch is ending?"

Jenkins stood frozen amidst the crowd, utterly bewildered. No matter how he read the words, they seemed to be about him.

He leaned over and whispered a question to Captain Bincy, whose brow was now furrowed so deeply it seemed to be tied in a knot.

"This is an exceptionally rare Extraordinary item," Bincy explained, his voice low and tense. "It can only be found when the end of an Epoch is imminent. The contents of the Doomsday Document, along with the very place it's discovered, usually point toward a way to survive the coming cataclysm. Dammit... why here? What in the world did the Ashiash family know?"