The past was built upon collecting unique characteristics.

The moment the words were spoken, the overwhelming horde of undead and crows was halted by an invisible force, as if they were stuck in a quagmire and unable to move.

The translucent "ripples" in the air swirled tightly, compressing their existence, and no matter how much they screamed and struggled, they could not break free from them.

"Pfft!" A chilling tearing sound reached our ears as the crow's flesh was easily ripped apart by the invisible "ripples," leaving it covered in blood and gore.

As for those undead souls, their forms gradually faded under continuous purification, and eventually disappeared completely.

All attacks aimed at the two were blocked by that invisible "barrier" and could not advance any further.

Knowing that continuing to drive these crows to attack the barrier would only be a futile waste of energy, the black-robed shepherd raised his staff, a faint light flashing at the head of the withered staff.

The thick, black substance clinging to the remnants of the ravens and tree spirits transformed into tiny streams of fluid, which were then recalled by the staff.

Without the support of the foul stench, the remaining crows seemed to lose their vitality and plummeted straight down from mid-air.

Without exception, all the recovered black fluids converged around the dark gem at the top of the staff, spinning rapidly, constantly compressing and fusing together.

In just a few seconds, an energy composed of pure darkness floated above the staff.

It contains not only the corrupted power of the black-robed shepherd himself, but also the life force he just drew from the crows and tree spirits, causing its power to surge wildly!

Even though it was weakened by the barrier, Morian could still clearly feel the destructive power emanating from that dark energy.

The next blow we face should not be underestimated!

Faced with the terrifying energy poised to be unleashed, Charlotte decided to hold nothing back, her emerald eyes blazing with fighting spirit.

She ceased maintaining the large-scale barrier, placing the gleaming golden staff in her left hand, and bringing her free right index and middle fingers together in a mysterious and elegant gesture in front of her chest.

Swish!Swish!Swish!

As a series of ancient and intricate incantations were recited, five arrays inscribed with strange runes unfolded behind her. These arrays, composed of pure willpower and spiritual essence, were as dazzling as flowers of light that bloomed in an instant.

Fivefold Radiant Magic Array!

The five magic arrays slowly rotated, complementing each other to form a powerful whole, exuding a majestic aura that was in no way inferior to that dark, corrupt energy.

Judging from this, Charlotte was clearly very confident about the upcoming magical clash, and even somewhat eager to try it out.

Morian seized the opportunity, raising the sculpted camera in his hand to his eyes, the lens aimed at the black-robed shepherd who was intently guiding the dark energy.

Then, press the shutter button with your finger.

Click!

A crisp sound rang out, and a perfectly still photograph fell from the camera's output slide.

The area where the black-robed shepherd was located, which was originally being pointed at by the camera, seemed to be momentarily distorted, as if a frame of a moving video had been suddenly cut out, creating an unsettling effect.

"Record of events - freeze the afterimage!"

This stems from one of Morian's early abilities, which is also a key reason why he incorporates the identity of "journalist" into many of his pseudonyms.

Its true ability is not simply to photograph scenes, but to forcibly capture the "state of events" in the area where the target is located. The resulting photos will maintain a fragile mystical connection with the "events" in the real world.

In other words, when a photograph is damaged, it "settles" the corresponding things in the real world.

"It's almost time."

The gravedigger, his face as pale as a corpse, suddenly and abruptly warned the black-robed shepherd.

The black-robed shepherd nodded slightly, placing his free left hand on the gravedigger's shoulder.

The viscous substance that had been swirling around his feet spread upwards like a shadow, tightly enveloping their lower bodies, ready to evacuate the scene at any moment.

At the same time, he swung his right hand, which was holding the staff high, toward Morian and Charlotte.

The ball of dark energy broke free from the staff's guidance and flew out like a wild horse, engulfing the surrounding light.

It left a deep ravine in its wake, and even the pebbles on the ground trembled slightly from the aftershocks of the energy.

Before Morian could get a good shot, just as the figure began to merge with the shadow, he abruptly flung the photo he was holding between two fingers toward the surging black energy.

"Charlotte! Attack that photo!"

Upon hearing this, Charlotte nodded in understanding. Behind her, five magic arrays, poised to unleash their power, swirled and their energy converged into an extremely dazzling light, which blasted towards the spinning photograph in the air.

The photo captures a still image of a black-robed shepherd raising his staff, completely unguarded!

"02 minute 16 seconds"

"boom--!"

A surging torrent of spiritual energy instantly pierced through the thin photograph, then collided with the dark energy, and a dazzling light filled the entire highway.

Almost simultaneously, from the shadowy area in the distance came the shocked and furious screams of the black-robed shepherd.

His figure was forcibly pulled out of the shadow fusion state and fell onto the grass. At the tip of the staff in his hand, which had just completed the spell, the ball of dark energy that should have been released reappeared.

But this time, it was out of control. The energy became incredibly violent, and after a period of intense contraction and expansion, it could no longer maintain its state.

"boom--!"

The black energy turbulence collapsed suddenly around him, and the terrifying gravity tore everything around him apart, ripping his black robe to shreds.

The withered staff was covered with countless cracks, and then it shattered under the weight.

Charlotte's attack not only affected the connection established through the "Event Record" but also the chaotic energy, causing it to lose its stable state.

Having endured such a severe blow at close range, the black-robed shepherd's body was instantly covered in wounds, and his aura was already weak. He could only barely manage to get up.

He staggered back several steps, trying to manipulate the remaining viscous substance to escape once more.

However, Charlotte merely tapped her staff, and the thick tree trunk, radiating a pale golden light, was uprooted from the ground and tightly wrapped around her.

Seeing that the time was right, Morian quickly drew his revolver from his waist and instantly emptied all the bullets in the cylinder into the enemy's head.

A weakened and low-level Ascendant is utterly unable to withstand such a pure physical attack! The black-robed shepherd's skull shattered instantly, and he lost his life force.

The other gravedigger seemed unaffected, completely disappearing into the shadows and fleeing the scene.

After overcoming all the obstacles, Morian hurriedly accessed the countdown timer at the edge of his field of vision to check the remaining time.

[1 minutes 24 seconds]

Only one minute left! We only have one minute left to deal with that relic!

Without time to hesitate or pause, he immediately rushed toward the gray sedan that was leaning against the side of the road at top speed.

Morian roughly pulled open the back door, and on the badly worn back seat, a palm-sized, grayish-white object, shaped like a Rubik's Cube, lay quietly.

The Rubik's Cube remained motionless, yet simply lying there exuded an aura that sent shivers down one's spine, as if facing the end of all things.

This is... "Grey Paradise"?!