Chapter 470: Chapter 470

The elf's slender fingers tapped a steady rhythm on the back of his chair, betraying his inner anxiety. His beautiful eyes fixed on Jenkins, hopeful that he might offer a constructive suggestion.

Jenkins glanced at the expressions on Mr. Black Cat and the elf, then swallowed. "From what I know, creatures like that are extremely difficult to kill. So, there must be some of them sealed away in this world, right?"

"Yes, that's correct."

A smile touched the elf's lips. "Aside from the great deities, or the power of ancient races like the Star Spirits, there are indeed very few ways to kill those monsters."

"Excuse me, Mr. Saramanda, do you know where they are sealed?"

Jenkins breathed a sigh of relief and asked with a hint of anticipation, "Could you take me to see one? I think our path to survival lies with these monsters."

Mr. Black Cat gave a noticeable shudder and leaned back in his chair. He wanted absolutely nothing to do with that kind of thing.

"Then let's set out as soon as we can."

"No, no, no, there's no need to go anywhere."

The elf chuckled and waved a dismissive hand. He stood up, steadying himself on the arm of his chair, then leaned over to retrieve a wooden box with a golden lock from the mantelpiece. He sat down again. Part of the box's lid was made of glass, allowing a view of the contents within.

"This is one of them."

Mr. Black Cat had already leapt to his feet, dragging his chair with him to the other side of the room. When he noticed the other two looking his way, he awkwardly rubbed the hat in his hand against his breast pocket.

"I'm still listening," he mumbled. "Just carry on."

Jenkins and the elf nodded, paying him no mind.

"Don't be surprised to find it here," Saramanda explained. "From what I understand, these strange entities were formed after the large-scale disappearance of exotic creatures from the material world. As a result, most of those who stumble in here are human. As of now, I am likely the oldest 'stray' in this world, so it is safest for me to watch over one of them."

With that, he extended his hands and offered the box to Jenkins.

Chocolate's head turned to follow the movement of the elf's hand, a peculiar light glinting in its eyes.

Jenkins hesitated for a moment before taking the box. The object itself radiated a mixed aura of gold, green, and black. Aside from the sun, moons, and stars, it was the most brilliant aura Jenkins had ever seen.

Chocolate, who had been perched on the back of the chair, was now on its feet. It pounced into Jenkins's arms, then scrambled onto his lap and began pawing at the object in his hands, claws extended.

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He firmly pushed the cat's head back down, sat up straight, and squinted at the glass panel on the box's lid. Perhaps due to the power of the box itself, even upon seeing the two-headed giant serpent writhing inside, he only felt a very faint dizziness—something that would have been nearly impossible before.

"This serpent is also recorded in the annals of the Orthodox Churches in the material world; after all, the era in which it was active wasn't that long ago. This is Herfis, the two-headed serpent, a descendant of the Beast of Calamity—Selfdieselwo, the Ouroboros."

"I see... What is a Beast of Calamity?"

"Oh? Did I say something?"

The elf asked with a pleasant smile, and Jenkins immediately understood that this, too, was a topic that couldn't be discussed.

The snake in the box was clearly still alive, though not in good condition. Its body could occasionally be seen twitching. Jenkins hesitated, then tapped his finger on the glass panel. The left head of the serpent lifted, looked up, and then drooped down again.

"Should we give you some privacy? I imagine you have some secrets you'd rather we not see."

The elf asked considerately.

Jenkins replied in a low voice, his attention still fixed on the snake.

He focused all his spiritual energy on the two-headed serpent, then activated his [Blasphemous Creation] ability. As nimbly as ever, vines extended from the void, passing through the glass panel as if it weren't there. They split into two strands and plunged directly into the box, wrapping themselves around the two black serpent heads.

In that instant, the elf shot up from his chair as if he'd received a terrible fright. He then began to twitch, as though suppressing some instinctual reaction, shaking his head at Jenkins all the while.

"It's... an old affliction of mine. It's nothing. Please, continue."

As he spoke, he retreated to the corner of the room, leaving Jenkins sitting alone before the fireplace.

An indescribable sound erupted the moment the vines enveloped the two-headed serpent. First, he felt the box in his hands vibrate at an extremely high frequency, followed by a piercing shriek that nearly shattered his eardrums.

Jenkins felt as if he'd been caught in a tidal wave, his entire being spinning erratically. In reality, however, he remained seated in his chair.

His vision began to darken, and out of the blackness lunged a gigantic python. His whole body trembled as he desperately told himself it was all an illusion.

A feeling of extreme danger suddenly gripped him. From high in the distant sky, it seemed as if something was casting its gaze down upon him.

Chocolate let out a menacing cry. Seizing the opportunity while Jenkins was lost in the illusion, it swatted the box out of his hands and onto the floor with a single paw.

The red lacquered box landed silently on the soft carpet, tumbled a few times, and came to rest with the glass panel facing down.

The strange sounds and hallucinations vanished. The feeling of waking from a dream left Jenkins with a dull ache in his head. He gasped for breath, catching Chocolate just as it was about to leap onto the carpet and pulling the cat into an embrace against his rapidly beating heart.

"What was that just now? Did the box's protection fail?"

He looked up to see Mr. Saramanda and Mr. Black Cat both leaning against the wall, looking as if they were about to be sick. Of course, compared to the utterly graceless Mr. Black Cat, the golden-haired elf still managed to look charming even while striking such an unsightly pose.

Once he had mostly recovered, Jenkins crouched down by the chair. He let Chocolate go first, then began picking up the round, green coins scattered across the wool carpet.

"One, two... six of them! So many! I knew it. Creatures produce far more Sin Coins than humans do!"

Chocolate watched Jenkins gather the items, its tail swishing. While no one was paying attention, it ducked its head and snatched up a seventh coin from behind the leg of the chair. That one had happened to roll there and been stopped, so Jenkins hadn't seen it.

Amidst a faint cracking sound, the cat's cheeks puffed out as if it were chewing. A moment later, its throat moved in a swallowing motion.