Chapter 262: Chapter 262

Jenkins had a pretty good idea of what had happened. He had fused the Purification Candle with the Inexhaustible Fire. While he had defeated A-11-02-3219, the act had triggered a strange phenomenon. Chocolate had arrived at the very last moment, not only repelling the Treasure Elf's final counterattack with the divine metal block but also calling for help. Otherwise, Jenkins would almost certainly have been discovered by the Enchanters who arrived afterward.

"I ran into A-11-02-3219. To save my life, the black-robed man and the new god granted me a Bestowal."

As he spoke, he opened his right hand, and a candle burning with a crimson flame rose from his palm. The moment it appeared, the temperature in the room seemed to rise. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ ⓝovelFire.net

"Granted to you? It seems the new god thinks highly of you and is determined to make you one of its followers. This could be considered... Wait, this candle... isn't that the one the black-robed man had?"

She leaned forward slightly, her voice laced with surprise and doubt.

After the incident with the malevolent spirit at the hospital, Jenkins had saved her in the guise of the black-robed man, experiencing his first divine transformation. Hathaway had often revisited that terrifying night in her dreams, and the memory of the candle was etched into her mind.

"Yes. The new god fused that candle with a ball of fire to create this. That's what caused the strange phenomenon."

He could admit to that much. As long as the credit didn't go to Jenkins Williamette, it was fine.

"Fusion? Is it that trait where similar supernatural items consume one another? When Bestowals devour each other, does that create a new one?"

"Did you manage to eliminate A-11-02-3219?"

"Yes. I can feel an increase in my spirit, but I only destroyed the manifestation of it here. Fundamentally speaking, the Mysterious Object still exists somewhere in the world, so I didn't gain much spirit."

"That's more than good enough."

She rose from the chair beside the bed, opened the wardrobe, and set a bundle on top. "These are yours, right? I gathered everything. I imagine the Enchanters from the Orthodox Church have completely surrounded that area by now. We barely avoided getting caught. It's a good thing Chocolate is so clever... The items you rented from the lumberyard have also been returned. That place is far from where you collapsed, so you don't have to worry about the Church connecting you to this incident. And really, why were you carrying so much junk?"

Everything was there, including the documents belonging to a Mr. Clark that he had left in front of the cabin. At the very bottom of the pile was a damp thermal undershirt, its cloth pouch still attached, which meant Hathaway was unaware of the garment's true value. Even the can of meat Jenkins had discarded under a tree was in the bundle. Jenkins suspected Chocolate must have guided her to these things; there was no way she could have covered that much ground herself.

He glanced suspiciously at the cat, who was lounging on the bed, playfully batting its tail with a paw.

Ha, I'm overthinking things again.

An awkward silence settled between them. Jenkins felt he should be the one to break it, so he decided to offer a few "truths" to ease the tension.

"The black-robed man was there today," he began. "He didn't seem at all reluctant when he gave me the candle."

"Of course he wasn't. He wouldn't dare disobey a command from his god. Besides, the candle has already chosen you..."

Hathaway looked at Jenkins, who summoned the Bestowal again and held it out to her. After hesitating for a moment, she accepted it.

"This is a Bestowal," she breathed. "A true Bestowal."

She gazed at the candle, her eyes growing misty as the flame flickered in their depths. After a moment, she handed it back to Jenkins.

"Don't bring this out in front of strangers," she warned. "I assume that irresponsible man in black told you at least that much."

"He did. But you're not a stranger. You're... my friend."

Jenkins could feel the atmosphere grow even more awkward, and he immediately regretted his words.

The only thing that could possibly make this more awkward, he thought, would be to ask where I am.

He already suspected this was her bedroom. It was the only place safe enough, where they wouldn't be easily disturbed.

The flame of the gas lamp burned steadily, but its light did nothing to dispel the awkwardness hanging heavy in the air. Jenkins considered bringing up an amusing story he had recently read in the newspaper about exploding gas lamps, but decided it wasn't the right time.

"The Twin Demons was there today, too," he said quietly.

"I'm only telling you, so please, don't spread it around."

The young woman glanced at him, surprised. A complex wave of emotions washed over her. He trusts me that much?

"He was there? Of course. His god was manifesting; there's no way he would have missed it. Who else was... No, never mind. You don't have to tell me. I know it's a secret."

Jenkins lowered his head. "Everyone can guess that the Twin Demons is a follower of the new god, so you don't have to keep that part a secret. Just don't mention he was there today. There was actually someone else... another person..."

He mimed tapping a silver spoon against the rim of an invisible soup bowl, the gesture producing a clear, phantom clink. "He was wearing a black robe. I don't know who it was."

"Why didn't they save you?"

It was a lie, one he had crafted the moment he awoke, which was why the answer came so readily to his lips.

Hathaway pressed her lips together, saying nothing.

She picked up a waterskin from the bedside table and handed it to Jenkins. It was part of the "hunting set" he had rented from the owner of the lumberyard.

Jenkins uncorked the waterskin and gently swirled the clear liquid inside. It carried the faint, sweet scent of summer fruit and emanated a potent yellow spiritual glow.

"Since you ran into A-11-02-3219, it's not surprising that you were found unconscious in B-01-05-0086."

Seeing the confusion on Jenkins's face, she explained with a hint of resignation.

"Ever since I met you, it feels like I'm encountering a new numbered supernatural item every week. Nolan City must be in serious trouble. B-01-05-0086 is the Fountain of Wisdom. It's a spring that can change its location at will, similar in nature to A-01-2-3000, the Fountain of Youth, which only appears in the far north. Both vanish after a certain amount of water is drawn from them. The difference, however, is that the Fountain of Youth carries a severe curse, whereas the Fountain of Wisdom has practically no side effects."

Her eyes grew distant.

"Countless Enchanters spend their entire lives searching for this and never find it. To think I would stumble upon it just by chance, all because I ran into your cat."