Secrets: Priestess

Chapter 141 "Viper" Flora
Late at night, the red moon is full and perfect.

Under the crimson moonlight, figures kept leaving an ordinary townhouse. Some hid their heads and tails, while others disappeared like ghosts.

"Have we succeeded?"

After all the partygoers left, Quinn breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Claire, not quite confidently, and asked.

Claire placed the antique bracelet she had obtained at the party in a specially made small tin box. She tucked the box away under her robe and said in a low, hoarse voice, "The real test has just begun."

As Xio was about to reach the door, he asked doubtfully, "The real test?"

Claire was about to answer, but she suddenly sensed some movement in the gray fog world.

In a trance, Claire saw the Fool appear in front of the long bronze table and saw the Fool write down the words "Ian Wright's whereabouts" with the paper and pen that appeared.

Is the Fool fortune-telling again?
Ian Wright, who is this...

Because the Fool's Divination drew upon the power of the gray fog, Claire was able to witness the scene of the Fool's Divination—a large boy sleeping soundly in a cramped, multi-person room.

Why did the Fool look for this older boy?

Claire, distracted by the situation, pondered the Fool's sudden divination while answering Quinn's question, "Because one of the guests hasn't truly left."

Claire deliberately walked into the dark alley next to her.

Xio glanced at the full moon in the sky with some sadness, and murmured: "No guests left?"

After a slight hesitation, Quinn followed Claire's steps.

As soon as he turned into the alley, before Xio could clearly see the figure of Claire walking not far away, a flaming spear suddenly condensed from the side and pierced Xio's face!

The blazing flame at the tip burned Xio's curly hair. Before Xio could even scream, the attacker's "blazing white spear" pierced his head!

As the silver crystal powder fell, Xio found herself floating up without her knowing when, and beneath her feet was an illusion pierced by a blazing white spear, which shattered into unknown colored powder.

Although each of the twenty-two paths had its own advantages and disadvantages, the ability of the "Wizard" was very suitable for Claire. This was because the more knowledge a "Wizard" mastered, the more comprehensive and powerful his abilities would be. He could even use spellcasting materials to simulate the extraordinary abilities of other paths.

For example, "Creating Illusions" is based on the "Nightmare" ability to create dreams!
"Wizard!" As the flames faded, a tall and strong man stood in the dark alley, looking up at Claire floating in the air.

As Claire waved, Xio, who was also suspended in the air, drifted towards Claire.

Suddenly a night wind blew, and green powder poured down from the air in the crimson moonlight.

The tall and strong man snorted coldly, and a shallow layer of flames rose from his body surface, burning all the green powder that fell on him with a sizzling sound.

However, in the corner of the alley, a thin figure tumbled out amidst screams. Poisonous smoke from the corroded air billowed from his body as he screamed at Claire in mid-air, "Save me! I admit my mistake! Viper! Forgive me!"

But the black robe floating in the air did not respond.

In just a few breaths, the corroded man lost his voice amidst wailing, and his tattered corpse leaked all kinds of nauseating liquids.

A hint of gloom flashed in the eyes of the tall and strong man, and he turned to leave. Although he was still placing powerful fire bombs in the alley, the power of the bombs could not reach the enemies floating in the air.

The strange methods and cruel character displayed by the "Viper" made the tall and strong man no longer want to get entangled with her.

The tall and strong man wanted to leave, but suddenly leaves, petals and thorns on the ground grew wildly and wrapped around his legs. The man shouted angrily, and the flames around his body burned fiercely, but these wildly growing plants seemed to be stimulated and tied up the man while burning.

In the blink of an eye, the tall and strong man was engulfed by these flaming plants!

Looking at the crazy plants wriggling like venomous snakes in the alley below, Xio swallowed his saliva with a tingling scalp. "Flora, this guy has already given up. Why don't you let him go?"

A deep, hoarse voice emanated from the black robes. "'Arbitrator,' I heard from the Captain that you've participated in gatherings of Aurora members before... How do you think the Aurora members, without any means of authentication or notarization, ensure that transactions at these gatherings are free of fraud?"

Xio's expression suddenly became clear: "Because they are so cruel and crazy, no one dares to cheat at their parties."

Xio thought for a moment, frowned, and asked, "But if you kill all the attackers, won't there be no one to help us spread the word about your strength and ruthlessness? Wouldn't it be in our best interest to let the man in the alley go?"

"Don't worry about that. There are more 'guests' hiding around here than you think." Claire sneered from under the black robe, "And..."

Before the low, hoarse voice could finish, the tall and strong man suddenly rushed out from the surging crazy plants, brandishing a blazing spear and leaping high!
A broad hand with exposed veins grasped the classical black robe floating in the air, while the other hand tightly grasped the "Blazing White Spear" and cut Claire in half!
However, the classical robe held in the hands of the tall and strong man lightly turned into a false scroll, was torn into pieces and burned in the flames!

The man, who had a bad premonition, quickly gathered a group of flaming crows around him. Some of the crows circled around the tall and strong man who was falling, while others locked onto Claire who had landed on the ground and swooped down!

But Claire simply jumped back and avoided the charge of the fire crows.

The fire crows continuously hit the ground, blowing up clouds of smoke and dust.

In the smoke and dust, the tall and strong man looked at Claire who was dodging backwards with a cruel smile on his face. Under his spiritual control, the "fire bomb" he had placed in the alley was suddenly activated!
However, the condensed and compressed high-powered bomb exploded from a nearby corner, which shocked the man and submerged his own body!
The tall and strong man's high resistance to fire allowed him to barely survive the fire explosion, but the impact of the close-range explosion left him covered in wounds. Even the thick arms that protected him were blown into a bloody mess, revealing his white bones.

The tall and strong man had cold sweat on his forehead due to the pain.

Only at this moment did he realize that the place where he had just landed was where he had set up the fire bomb, and where the black-robed woman was standing was close to another fire bomb that had not yet exploded!
"phantom……"

Viper had just been deliberately chatting with the Arbitrator, making him mistakenly believe he had found a flaw! But all this was just a trick to lure him into exploding!
As a result, one thing after another led him into the trap he had set for himself!
The tall and strong man's expression turned extremely ugly. He even didn't dare to detonate the fire bomb buried under Claire's feet!
"I'm a Sequence 7 Arsonist! I'm willing to join you! You didn't even arrange waiters for the party, you must be very short of people! Let me join you!"

After several exchanges, he couldn't even touch the corner of his opponent's clothes. The opponent's various strange and elusive extraordinary methods made the tall and strong man confirm that the person in front of him was an extremely knowledgeable "wizard"!
The tall and strong man decisively admitted his mistake at this moment, wanting to ensure his survival by seeking refuge.

But Claire wasn't willing to give him that opportunity. Her hoarse yet gentle voice revealed undisguised murderous intent: "Compared to you, who I cannot trust, the Beyonder characteristics you left behind are more useful to me."

Facing the woman's ridicule, the tall and strong man's eyes revealed anger and viciousness. The emotions aroused made him unable to resist taking a gamble: "Then you die! 'Viper'!"

But what chilled the tall and strong man was that... this time the explosion landed right under his own feet!

The huge impact force generated by the high explosive broke his legs this time, causing the tall and strong man to collapse to the ground after falling and unable to get up.

Claire's husky, mocking voice once again reached his ears: "You know it's an illusion, yet you're still gambling with your life... As a Beyonder of the Hunter Path, haven't you ever heard Emperor Roselle's words, 'Nine out of ten bets are lost, so not betting is winning'?" Hatred and rage surged in the man's blood-red eyes. He watched the abominable woman, her body veiled in a classical robe, approach him. With the thought of both sides perishing, he detonated all the pre-set "fire bombs"!
The alley was completely reduced to ruins.

But what the tall and strong man didn't see was that from beginning to end, Claire was floating above the alleyway, unaffected by the explosion!
Claire pulled a handful of flower seeds from her black robe and scattered them downwards. The seeds grew and spread throughout the ruins, and these venomous, snake-like plants instantly dragged the two bodies from the rubble.

Claire carried the two Beyonders' bodies on her back without a care for the dirtiness, and quickly said to Xio, who had landed at the same time, "It's time to run."

Xiu was still a little dazed at the moment. She was just floating in the air when explosions occurred one after another in the alley below her feet!

Claire approached Xio and placed one of the corpses on top of Xio. Her hoarse voice was filled with a hint of bitterness:

"Don't be stunned, run quickly. If we are caught by the authorities, even if our safety is not endangered, the damage caused is beyond my expectations, and they will inevitably ask for compensation. Fortunately, no one lives in the place you rented, otherwise we would be wanted..."

Carrying the corroded and tattered corpse on his back, the stench of decay made Xio feel something real.

She watched her new teammate slowly disappear in the glittering powder, not even bothering to think about why organizing a gathering of Beyonders had turned into a battle between Beyonders. She hurriedly shouted to Viper Flora, "Take me with you!"

……

With the help of the crazy new team member, Hugh dealt with the remaining traces, changed into a slim knight's uniform and returned to his residence in Hillston District.

"Viper... what a fitting title! Where did Captain Galadilla recruit this 'wizard'? His methods are bizarre and his temperament is insane. He can kill people without blinking an eye!"

Even after separating from his new teammate, Xio couldn't help but think about him in his heart.

Witnessing the battles between the Mid-Sequencers, Xio constantly lamented the danger and terror of the Beyonder world. However, she also understood that as the notoriety of "Viper" Flora spread, their Beyonder gatherings would gradually become more stable.

"Viper" Flora's "identification ability" and powerful strength will instead gain the trust and admiration of wild extraordinary people.

Just like the parties Mr. A had hosted before, the participants were afraid of Mr. A’s tyranny, but also trusted the parties organized by Mr. A.

The world of extraordinary people is a world that worships power and is more naked than the secular world.

Every extraordinary person is trying their best to avoid madness, but the hidden dangers that may get out of control at any time are constantly triggering the crazy nature of the extraordinary people.

Those who embark on an extraordinary path are either already crazy or on the road to madness.

"I'm afraid I've gone crazy too..." Thinking of the glory that had been taken away from his family, his father who had been hanged, his mother and younger brother who were still living in hiding in East Chester County under an assumed name, Xio calmed down the various emotions in his heart, and his delicate and youthful face gradually became resolute.

"For the sake of my clan, for my family. I must become stronger, even if this is a path destined to madness..."

Xio opened the door of her residence. She wanted to take a nice hot bath and then have a good sleep to get rid of the thrill and fatigue of the night. But when she passed Fors's room, she heard suspicious moans coming from the room.

Xio frowned in confusion. She paused for a moment to listen, then heard a scream of pain.

"No!"

Xio smashed open Fors's door and rushed in. She saw Fors's beautiful face twisted into an extremely hideous shape!
Fors covered her head with her arms and rolled over on the ground. She grabbed her hair, and the veins on the back of her hands bulged, revealing her pain at the moment!
Xio rushed over at the fastest speed, and with greater strength than Fors, he held the other person in his arms, restraining the other person's self-harming movements.

"Fors! Fors! Wake up!" Xio yelled at Fors.

Tormented by the full moon's whispers, Fors could no longer control her hands, urging them to hurt themselves!

As a last resort, Xio could only suppress Fors's movements tightly and pin Fors under him!
Even though she was suppressed, Fors continued to twist and wriggle for several minutes before finally stopping.

After a while, Fors called out weakly, "Shut..."

Xio quickly released his grip on Fors and asked with concern, "What's wrong with you... didn't you say the abnormalities during the full moon weren't serious?"

Fors gasped for breath. She looked at the curtains that half-covered the window, and through the gap, she saw the dreamy crimson full moon in the night sky.

"I thought I could bear it, I hoped I could bear it, but... I found that my symptoms during the full moon were getting worse each time."

Fors, resting her head on Xio's legs, had a bitter and confused look on her face.

"I tried to separate the bracelet, but the negative effects of this magical item have become entangled with me and cannot be separated."

"I've tried taking tranquilizers, chanting the name of the God of Steam and Machinery, and performing certain ritual magic, but none of this can change my current situation..."

Fors's hidden weakness was revealed uncontrollably as she continued to talk. "In fact, the abnormality of my full moon is getting worse and worse..."

"Xiu, I'm afraid I won't be able to make it through the next full moon..."

……

In the Backlund Bridge area, in a single-family rental house.

Claire, still in disguise, was resting in her rented house. This house was a backup in case of any unexpected situation. She was more cautious and did not return to her house on Pacefield Street.

Claire held a crimson object resembling a heart in her hand. The "heart" slowly expanded and contracted, with tiny, barely visible flames emanating from the tiny holes on its surface.

That was the extraordinary characteristic extracted from the tall and strong man's body.

It is the Beyonder characteristic of Sequence 7 "Arsonist".

On the table in front of him lay a pair of dark red, crystal-clear eyeballs of pain, which were the extraordinary characteristics of the "Secret Peeper".

Holding her heart and looking at her eyeballs, Claire, who looked like a perverted dismemberment demon, experienced Audrey's troubles at this moment.

How can I store Beyonder Characteristics for a long time and conveniently...

(End of this chapter)