“Welcome back on the journey home, the thirteenth.”
The sheer volume of information was overwhelming, and that single sentence made Lynch feel as if he had been plunged into an ice cellar.
He had only been in this world for eight days, and this was the first time anyone had discovered the existence of Lady Luna. Combined with the fact that he had been inexplicably manipulated by this person even before he crossed over, Lynch now deeply suspected that the other party might have known about the existence of the Red Moon from the very beginning. Perhaps they had specifically targeted him because they knew he was a transmigrator and that he was a neighbor to Lady Luna, cleverly weaving him into their scheme.
But what truly chilled Lynch to the bone was the title they used: the thirteenth.
He knew very well that he was retracing the path of awakening alongside Lady Luna in an attempt to walk toward immortality once more. Lady Luna had even promised that when they reached the end, he would inherit the divine authority of the Red Moon and become the thirteenth immortal.
Yet, the casual, dismissive attitude of the man in the picture frame caused irrepressible doubt to bubble up in Lynch’s mind.
Why did he act as if this were commonplace? Were the other twelve supreme beings revived the same way, making this nothing to be surprised about?
But if that were true, what about the other twelve roles of 'me'? Why had no one ever mentioned them?
Could it be that an existence like 'me' is something that must be hidden, which is why it vanished from the historical record?
Then what about me?
A single sentence from the shadow sent countless goosebump-inducing thoughts through Lynch. Once the seed of suspicion was planted, it became uncontrollable. In a split second, various doubts and misgivings played out in his mind. He knew that the lady in his mind could sense his thoughts, but these distractions surfaced against his will. Had the situation not been so dire, he would have desperately wanted to ask her for a clear explanation.
But for now... he had to set that aside. At the very least, he had to deal with the shadow before him and the evil god behind him.
Lynch realized he was facing a truly terrifying opponent. A simple greeting had nearly shattered the trust he had built up over the past few days.
Lynch coughed drily, pulling his chaotic thoughts back together. He noticed that the shadow in the frame had shifted into the portrait of a young man sitting formally.
It was the same man he had seen in Maya’s cabin a few days ago, the mastermind behind the scenes at the Randall mansion.
“Good evening, my friend. The fact that you have used this frame means you have already reached Zur Baha Sahr and discovered the relics of Charles Finit. You are moving much faster than we anticipated.”
The portrait of the gentleman in formal attire moved with the fluidity of an animation, tipping his hat and bowing. A reserved, cold smile played on his lips.
“Your performance is excellent, truly worthy of the thirteenth’s target. We certainly did not choose wrong in selecting you as a tool. Heh, I hope you manage to stay alive, and live even longer.”
Lynch’s fists clenched, then slowly relaxed. The rage from their previous two encounters flared up again, but getting angry now would be nothing more than futile fury, serving only to make him a laughingstock. With a calm expression, Lynch merely offered a cold laugh, staring indifferently at the portrait.
“What exactly is your goal? You’ve been planning this for twenty years.”
It was Miss Valente who spoke up, her voice stern and filled with the unquestionable authority of a superior.
“That is not a question you should be asking, Miss Valente. You know us well enough. The Shadow Alliance naturally has its own goals, but we have never revealed them before they were accomplished. Therefore, we will not answer your question, heh.” The portrait offered a smile as lifelike as a living person, speaking in a low voice. “As for today, do not forget that you were the ones who sought me out. I imagine you have encountered the same predicament as Charles.”
“Are you the Black Spider?” Lynch narrowed his eyes and pressed, “Is it the same person as twenty years ago?”
“Heh... your questions are too numerous, Mr. Levive.” The portrait’s smile faded, though it quickly returned to a calm expression. “Indeed, I am the Black Spider of the Shadow Alliance. It was we who hired Charles to carry out the mission twenty years ago. Now that you have encountered Charles’s dilemma, I do not mind telling you the answer, so that you may complete the task he left unfinished.”
Miss Valente sneered: “Complete the mission for you?”
“You are, of course, free to refuse. You can do whatever you like; I do not mind. Heh, we have never forced anyone to work for us.” The Black Spider’s portrait spread its hands, its tone mocking. “In any case, I am not the one who wants to destroy Mordiggian’s avatar. Even if it truly manifests, it will not affect me.”
He had hit the mark.
Lynch sighed, knowing the other party held the upper hand in this exchange. There was no point in dwelling on it, so he immediately shifted the subject: “Then tell us what kind of problem Charles encountered.”
“Heh, Mr. Levive, you intentionally avoid the specific dilemma he faced; it seems you are unwilling to trust our integrity. In truth, our Shadow Alliance never falsifies information. The information we provide is always true, which is why our clients are willing to trade with us even when they know we have ulterior motives. But no matter, I do not mind your testing. Charles could not destroy Mordiggian’s avatar because he fundamentally did not know what the essence of an avatar was.”
Lynch raised an eyebrow and exchanged a look with Miss Valente: “He was an experienced expert. He said himself that this was not his first time confronting an evil god’s avatar.”
“True, an honorary consultant to the Archaeological Association. A poor seventh-rank powerhouse who vanished in some ruin, his body never even recovered. He remains listed as a missing person on the Friedman Archaeological Association’s registry to this day.” The Black Spider smiled coldly. “He had indeed participated in two battles against avatars of the Great Old Ones, but he still failed to understand the nature of an avatar.”
“Hm?”
“The Great Old Ones have physical bodies, but their avatars do not. The so-called sleeping avatar of an evil god is merely a conceptual existence. What you see is only the image of the avatar concept manifesting within your own will. As long as you lack the ability to destroy a specific concept, you cannot destroy what you are facing, because in essence, it does not exist. There is nothing for you to destroy.”
It was a bizarre theory, but within the world of mystery, it held a degree of logic. Looking at Miss Valente, who studied mystery, she nodded in agreement: “That is indeed possible.”
Lynch asked, confused: “Then how did he manage to fight the avatar twice?”
“When an avatar wakes from its slumber, its existence changes from a concept into a physical entity. Charles fought those awakened avatars in the past. In reality, a sleeping avatar is unlikely to be encountered by mortals; Zur Baha Sahr is the exception.”
Miss Valente asked instinctively: “Is there any way to solve it?”
“It is quite simple. Excavate Zur Baha Sahr, or delay the time of the sacrifice until the avatar is startled awake.”
“Is there no other way? What was the method Mr. Finit mentioned that required multiple people?”
Miss Valente’s mouth twitched slightly. Putting aside how many people would die and how high the risk was, even if it were feasible, it made no sense for the two of them. They had arrived more than two months early; they could not wait for it to wake up under the filthy corruption of Mordiggian. Moreover, Elder Nikolai outside had no idea what was happening inside; once the time came, he would certainly carry out the subsequent sacrificial ritual.
The portrait suddenly curled its lips into a sinister smile, and even its voice carried unconcealable mirth.
“There is indeed one more way. Heh, offer your own body to Mordiggian’s avatar, becoming a vessel to host it. While it is still sleeping, it will then possess a physical form.” The Black Spider laughed with malice, his laughter filled with pleasure. “At that point, it will soon wake up, but if you kill the host before it fully awakens, the avatar will be destroyed, and your goal will...”
Slap. Lynch had already slammed the picture frame facedown on the ground, but he could not stop the voice from emanating from it.
“Hehehe, how rude, Mr. Levive. But I can guarantee that this is absolutely the only feasible way. That poor man Charles was too confident, breaking in here alone, unable to achieve his goal even when he knew the method. Now... it is up to you, hahaha.”
Rate on N.U.
