“So, the anomaly from earlier was indeed caused by you. The moment I saw the red moon, I just knew… wait, say that again. What are you doing?”
“Leveling up.” Lynch summoned his soul manifestation and pointed to the second orb of light. “Authority, Death. I also feel it’s a bit slow; it should be faster, but I’m stuck on my comprehension of the authority… wait, put the sword down. Why are you suddenly gripping your sword?”
“Twenty days. Others usually take seven or eight months, or even a year or two. You managed it in twenty, and you’re telling me it could be faster? Plus, with a commotion that big, you tell me you’re just leveling up? If you said you were invoking a divine miracle, people would believe you. When others advance to rank two, they find a quiet corner to do it in secret. You? Half of Rhine City could see the moon rising in broad daylight… forget it. I won’t be surprised by anything you do from now on.”
Recalling the psychological trauma this jerk had caused her since they met, Officer Natalie poked his plaster cast a few times before sitting back down in her chair, grumpily picking up her coffee cup again.
She was actually there to visit him, and she had even brought him generous gifts.
Friedman coffee from the square’s coffee kiosk, with double sugar and milk, paired with butter cookies from next door, topped with a small spoonful of rose honey. Have one for morning tea, and you’ll be immersed in sweetness and bliss for the rest of the day.
However, Officer Natalie didn’t feel blissful at all. She took a frustrated bite of a cookie, followed by a vicious gulp of coffee. Only after a few more bites did she start to smile again, soothed by the sweets.
But Lynch couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong.
“Wait, you’re here to visit the sick, right? Those are my get well gifts, aren’t they? Don’t you think there’s something inappropriate about where they’re going?”
“Not at all, it’s perfectly appropriate. You aren’t eating them, are you?”
With that, the officer handed him a loaded cookie.
Lynch shook his head vigorously. “No, it’s too sweet. Just looking at it makes my teeth ache.”
“Exactly.” The officer calmly withdrew the cookie and stuffed it into her own mouth. “I have no choice but to eat them for you. You should be thanking me.”
Lynch was so angry he just felt angry for a second. He fished out the two muffins she had left behind yesterday from his bedside table and handed them over. Then he leaned back against the bed, watching the policewoman opposite him. In reality, over the last sixteen days, she had spent eleven of them lounging here. Especially during the first six or seven days, she had even stayed overnight in the empty room on the third floor. It was only after Lynch’s condition improved, and he had regained the normal combat strength of a Soul Severer, that Officer Natalie reduced her time spent slacking off here.
“Victor is just worried that if the Watchers’ consultant is attacked while injured, it will damage the Watchers’ reputation. So he sent me to check on you, that’s all.” Officer Natalie sipped her coffee, her gaze drifting elsewhere. “Otherwise, I wouldn’t bother coming. The sweets in Charles Square are far worse than those at the station square.”
“Ah, yes, yes, of course. You’re always right.”
Lynch didn’t dare say anything else. Based on the precedent from the last few days, if this topic continued, someone’s calf would be getting a knock—though this time, it would definitely be the one that wasn’t broken.
Officer Natalie glared at him indignantly, leaving Lynch baffled. She put down her coffee and asked, “So, was that person scared off by the commotion of you advancing your authority to rank two? Is he very strong?”
“Yes. My intuition reacted. He is certainly no less powerful than Elder Nikolai.”
Officer Natalie chewed on her muffin, crunching loudly, but her eyebrows were already furrowed. “A rank seven powerhouse is rare in Rhine. Could it be another unidentified high level Soul Severer who has entered the city? You don’t recognize him?”
“No, he’s a stranger. But judging by his reaction, he was clearly targeting me. It seemed like he was just saying hello today. If I’m not mistaken, he will come looking for me again soon. When that happens, I’ll naturally know his purpose.”
Neither of them was worried about Mrs. Maggie or little Martha. In this world, disaster might befall one’s wife and children, but almost no one would target a neighbor, unless they were completely insane wanted criminals launching indiscriminate attacks.
“Then be extra careful. You should also arm yourself as soon as possible. After you’re done later, we’ll go to the archives to see Mr. Klin, and then I’ll take you to a secret society. You have money now, so let’s see if we can find a Death ability you can use. Oh, and arcane arts too… hm? Someone is here.”
Lynch heard it too. The front door downstairs was knocked upon, followed by the sound of little Martha’s chattering. A moment later, Mrs. Maggie knocked on the bedroom door and respectfully ushered the visitor inside.
It was an elderly woman wearing a knitted long dress and a floral headscarf, with a rather rustic appearance. She was followed by two middle aged nuns in nun habits. Seeing her, Officer Natalie quickly dropped her biscuits and cookies, stood up, took off her hat, and bowed in greeting.
Lynch also leaned forward slightly to show respect. The old woman was named Nightingale, Lynch’s attending physician and a believer in Fiona, the Lord of Suffering, a rank five first aid nun.
Her strength was not considered high within the church, and her position was quite ordinary, but her reputation in Lande was astonishingly high. It was said that even the Pope of the Church of Suffering would respectfully wait for her to be seated before daring to sit down himself.
Because she was a true saint. Throughout her life, she had led teams deep into battlefields and plague zones many times, saving countless lives. She was respected by everyone and could be called a treasure of the Church of Suffering. Now, old and unable to travel, she had returned to her hometown of Rhine to retire, contributing her final strength to the church with her wisdom and reputation.
“Hmm, your drawing skills have improved this time, and the story is quite good. It’s just that the ending, like the previous ones, is a bit monotonous.”
Sister Nightingale commented earnestly on the cast on Lynch’s leg, making little Martha giggle in embarrassment as she hid behind Mrs. Maggie. With a loving touch to the little one’s head, she soon sent the mother and daughter away, leaving only the policewoman behind. Once they had left the bedroom, she signaled for the two nuns following her to close the door from the outside. Only then did she sigh and say, “Detective Levive, your injuries have fully healed, so I can speak about some things. There is a matter I need your help with.”
Hm?
Requesting help after the fact rather than setting conditions beforehand—this earned Lynch’s favor. He exchanged a glance with Officer Natalie and then nodded. “Please, go ahead.”
“I have my own sources of information and know roughly what you experienced that day.” Nightingale sighed. “Cleansing the avatar of Mordiggian is a good thing; the threats to this world have been reduced by one. But, how should I put it? It would have been better if it hadn’t been Mordiggian.”
“What do you mean?”
“Mordiggian’s authorities are cold, death, and disease. You know that, right?” Seeing them both nod, the old woman smiled bitterly. “His authority over disease is the biggest problem. The moment his avatar shattered, the concept of disease shattered along with it, scattering like billions of fragments across the entire Middle Earth.”
“Plague?”
Lynch suddenly felt his skin crawl, as if he were seeing once again that gruesome, world wide plague at the end of the First and Third Ages, followed by the end of the world. The impression was too profound, so upon hearing the old woman’s words, his first thought was of a large scale plague.
The old woman looked at him in confusion and shook her head. “Disease and plague are two different concepts. A disease must first be contagious to become an infectious disease, and an infectious disease must spread uncontrollably on a large scale to form a plague. There is an essential difference between the two. Why did you suddenly think of a plague?”
“Heh, oversensitive.” Lynch still felt very uneasy, but he could only offer an awkward smile. “It’s nothing. Please continue. What about the disease?”
“Because the concept of disease has spread on a large scale, there may be widespread disease outbreaks in the surrounding regions over the next few months. This is an inevitable consequence of the shattering of a god’s avatar of disease, and it is difficult to avoid.”
Lynch frowned, his heart feeling heavy. He knew he hadn’t done anything wrong, but thinking of the consequences, he couldn’t help but feel conflicted. He pressed, “What kind of disease?”
“That is also what I want to know. What exactly will it be? Since a disease outbreak is an inevitable result, as long as we can know the type of disease in advance and make targeted preparations, we can minimize the danger.” Nightingale explained, “I will try my best to study it during this time to identify the type of disease. As for the treatment, I will need your help, Mr. Lynch.”
“Ha? I can help?”
“Yes. If there is only one person in the world who can help, it must be you, Detective.” Nightingale smiled. “The disease is based on the concept of Mordiggian’s avatar, and you are the one who shattered it. Therefore, regardless of what the disease is, you are its natural counter. Don’t worry, there will be no danger to you at all; it’s just a matter of drawing some blood.”
Lynch felt his veins pulsing. He immediately thought of the story of the sole antibody in a zombie apocalypse. However, facing such an elderly woman, and with such a simple request, Lynch truly couldn’t find a way to refuse. He could only nod. “We are going to meet a master of occultism at the Watchers’ headquarters shortly. Let’s do it after that. Once we’re done, I will pay a visit to the Church of Suffering.”
Rate on N.U.
