Mystery: I, the Hermit, am too eager to improve

Chapter 85 Ince, you're finished!

What?

Ince Zangwell stood frozen in place, and the next moment, he saw a hand pass right through his heart.

He turned his head in disbelief and saw a face that was cold and filled with anger.

Azik Eggers.

He's really back?!

How is that possible!

"Just one step away, just one step away from me..."

Because of his powerlessness and pain.

Piercing his heart with a descendant of the Grim Reaper, he had no time to react, and all his abilities became useless at that moment.

pat!

The box fell to the ground, revealing the ashes inside.

That was something Ince had longed for, but the moment he obtained it, he was met with murderous intent—

A murderous intent written by hand with a quill pen.

but.

The quill pen began writing again in the next moment.

"At that moment, by chance, a dragon spirit passed by, and it..."

Just as it was about to write, Roy grabbed it.

Roy turned around.

"Heart, spirit."

"it is good."

Azik ripped Ince's heart out, ruptured blood vessels, and blood gushed out.

At the same time, Ince's spirituality was completely shattered by him.

The next moment, Roy released the quill pen—

His condition was too poor, and the quill pen was worn out very quickly. If he continued to hold it, he would not have the energy to cast healing spells.

Azik removed the heart, and Roy quickly took it and placed it on Dunn's chest, then set up healing magic and rituals.

Azik assisted by moving Klein to the vicinity as well.

Nina hovered in the sky.

A moment later, the heart was placed inside.

however.

Although his body was intact and Dunn showed a slight sign of recovery, he soon began to struggle painfully again.

The etheric body, which had just begun to improve, showed signs of collapse again, and this time at an even faster pace.

"I'll take care of him; you all go and treat him."

Azik looked at Dunn.

Then he dragged Ince's body next to Dunn and placed the ashes to Dunn's right.

"it is good."

Roy immediately turned his head, extending his spiritual power and transferring more of the healing ritual's power onto Klein.

Suddenly, Azik turned to look at the quill pen—

The quill pen was grasped by a spirit, which resembled a dragon and possessed an extremely powerful aura; its target seemed to be the quill pen.

It looked indifferently at Azik and Roy.

At this moment, they were all maintaining the ritual. Nina above screamed sharply, her special spiritual power erupting and intimidating the other party.

After a brief standoff, the other party slowly disappeared into the air.

Roy breathed a sigh of relief.

Azik was silent for a moment, then said, "The spirit just now seemed to be a special creature formed after the death of a dragon."

"Perhaps the quill pen is related to it."

Roy was "guessing wildly".

He looked at Klein, paused for a moment, and said, "Mr. Azik."

Klein still died.

Although he used healing magic to repair the other person's body, like Dunn, his vital signs had disappeared.

but.

Neither of their spirits dissipated; they remained in their bodies.

"At least we killed Ince. I don't know about Klein, but he can be resurrected to some extent."

Azik stood in front of Dunn.

His spiritual extension drew upon Dunn, Ince, and the box of ashes, miraculously connecting the three together.

"Nina, can you do me a favor?"

"it is good."

Nina flew down and exhaled a cloud of deathly aura.

Dunn's body is undergoing a transformation.

An extraordinary power emanated from him and was guided by Azik to the ashes beside him, whereupon a phantom heart appeared.

That is……

Dunn's previous heart condition?

Roy's eyes narrowed.

His treatment, along with Azik and Nina's intervention, placed Dunn's life in a very special state, teetering between life and death.

Due to various factors.

The extraordinary power gathering within Ince was transferred to Dunn under the guidance of the ceremony.

They were preparing to transform Dunn into a special life form.

After the transformation is complete, thanks to Ince's heart and extraordinary characteristics, Dunn will be forcibly made the "gatekeeper," and his connection with Ince's heart will be deepened.

Through his clairvoyant eye, Roy clearly saw Dunn's ethereal body reviving.

After a long while, his heart began to beat.

It worked!

Roy was somewhat excited.

A moment later, Ince's body turned into a cloud of ash and vanished in the wind.

Correspondingly.

Saint Selena's ashes merged with Dunn's "special heart," creating a very special entity.

This is the price of the ritual.

Roy couldn't help but ask, "Mr. Azik, have you regained your memory? You've even mastered a ritual like this!"

Azik nodded.

"I talked to her and recalled some knowledge from this channel, and this is part of it."

"but."

"He hasn't truly become a gatekeeper yet; he can only stay at Sequence 5 from now on. If he continues to advance, his body will collapse, and he will need our help in the short term."

Azik said.

This is already a very good result.

Roy sighed.

He looked around and said, "Mr. Azik, let's leave. Should we leave Klein here with his family?"

Azik was silent for two seconds, then exhaled.

"Take it with you. His spirit hasn't left his body yet, so there might still be a glimmer of hope. I'll go back and think about whether there's anything I can do."

……

On the outskirts of Backlund, somewhere, space suddenly distorted.

The quill pen broke free from the spirit world and landed on this mountain.

It fell to the ground, seemingly having completely lost its spirit, but after a moment, a carriage suddenly stopped.

A moment later, a woman dressed in a white robe stepped down from the carriage.

She was dressed entirely in white, dignified, and untouched by any dust.

Upon seeing the quill pen, a look of surprise appeared on her face, followed by doubt and seriousness.

This pen—

As her fingers touched the quill, it began to write on the ground, writing down Triss's condition.

"Neighbor Triss, once she puts on the ring, she will slowly be replaced by Him. Although she is aware of the danger, it is no use. From the moment she arrived in Backlund, her fate was sealed."

Upon seeing this, a look of sudden realization appeared on the woman's face.

"So it was you."

"I heard you were stolen by Archbishop Ince Zangwell, I never expected to see you here."

The quill pen lay quietly in her hand.

……

Inside the Blackthorn Security Company, everything was reduced to ruins, with charred remains and broken objects everywhere, a scene of utter destruction.

Leonard groggily awoke.

He looked around, his body suddenly stiffening—

Where is the captain?

What about Klein?

He scrambled around, searching frantically, and finally found a handful of what appeared to be ashes, along with a box.

The box has a heart on it.

A heart as pure and flawless as a black gemstone.

Leonard clutched his heart, as if he could see the captain's figure above it.

He silently tilted his head back, but drops of liquid still rolled down his cheeks and dripped onto the black ash-covered ground.

Pales remained silent.

He didn't know how to begin, to tell Leonard what he had sensed and what he had guessed—

He sensed a powerful aura at that moment.

In his weakened state, Pales dared not probe the outside world, completely isolating himself from all influences, fearing that the one outside might sense his presence.

So he was unaware of what happened next.

but.

One thing he was certain of was that Dunn and Klein were already dead before their spiritual perception was completely shut down—

Someone pierced Klein's chest.

As for Dunn.

His heart was used to seal the object, so there was no way he could have survived. And that heart must be the extraordinary object that has been materialized before us.

Or rather, a new seal.

Pales couldn't ascertain the relationship with Leonard, so he couldn't give him a definite answer and simply remained silent.

"Old man, if I had become a Sequence 7 sooner, I might be a Sequence 6 now, and I could probably play a much greater role. If only I had..."

Leonard, holding what appeared to be either ashes or cremated remains, spoke with immense remorse.

After a moment's thought, Pales said, "The other side's plan is very well-thought-out. Even if you are a Sequence 6, it may not be of much use. Besides, once you become a Sequence 6, you will have to go to Backlund."

Leonard didn't answer; perhaps he didn't want to hear the answer.

He searched back and forth in the ruins, trying to find any trace of their survival or any remaining spiritual traces.

but.

No.

All that seems to have been left for him is this handful of ashes and a peculiar heart, and the identity of the ashes is still unknown.

Maybe it belongs to the captain, maybe to Klein, but it could also be to Megos...

Leonard held them, looking around blankly and helplessly.

He didn't know how to explain it to Daly and Klein's family—

As Sequence 7, he is the strongest Extraordinary among the Tingen Night Watchers, and these matters should be conveyed and carried out by him.

Leonard looked around.

He could even recognize that a pile of collapsed charcoal had once been Dunn's table.

In the past, Dunn often organized documents here. In the early days, when he hadn't fully digested them, he would often sit at the table and ask people to leave, but then call them back.

But now...

Leonard recalled the past, tears streaming down his face, which turned into a powerless and self-reproachful voice.

"I'm the only one who survived!"

"Why am I the only one who survived?!"

"but."

"Lanius, and the mastermind behind it all, I will find him and grind him to dust!"

……

The riverbank outside the sewers on the western outskirts of Tingen.

The crimson color stained the shore and waterways, and blood, flesh, and broken bones mixed with various other things polluted the surroundings beyond description.

One can imagine the fierce battle that must have taken place here before.

Lasse, old Ryan, and the others stood by the river, silent for a long time, with Suna sobbing nearby.

"I haven't returned the flowers to him yet!"

"Suna, when you get back, prepare a reward and send it to—"

Lasse hesitated for a moment.

He remembered what Ryan had said: Roy was an orphan whose family had passed away and who had been renting a place ever since.

The lady offered very cheap rent and allowed for late payments, and she would also occasionally offer part-time job opportunities.

Lasse sighed: "Mrs. Traore has always wanted to start a welfare home, so let's apply for funding for it, and the welfare home will be named after Roy Green."

"it is good."

Ryan answered.

……

Inside a house in Tingen.

Space distorted, the gate to the spirit world opened, Azik carried Dunn on his back, Roy carried Klein on his back, and Nina followed at the back.

The group filed out and entered the house, where Azik placed Dunn on the sofa.

He habitually reached for his cigar, but after glancing at the two people lying on the sofa, he immediately put it back.

He said, "When I arrived at Port Enmat, I felt like I was being followed. After some investigation, I met Mr. Z, whom you mentioned. He is a Sequence 5 shepherd."

Do you feel there are any extraordinary factors guiding this?

"Yes, but no."

Azik said.

"He must have misled the Aurora Society members into thinking that I was really going after them, so Mr. Z was very sensitive to my actions, but his influence did not extend to Port Enmat."

"I didn't do anything, and the other person left immediately."

Nina explained.

Azik nodded: "He understands my intention to leave, of course, I deliberately revealed it to him. You, an extraordinary one of the audience pathway, must be especially careful in the future."

"I'll keep an eye on it, Mr. Azik. Your memory seems to have returned quite a bit."

Roy nodded.

Azik shook his head: "Actually, not much. It's mostly knowledge about extraordinary pathways. By the way, what are you planning to do after that? Do you want me to help you send it back to the church?"

"No."

Roy looked down at himself and then frowned.

It smells awful!

He stood up and said, "I think I need to take a shower first."

"If you don't mind, you can wear my clothes first."

"Thank you so much!"

Roy chuckled.

Besides Azik, he had no other people to turn to for help.

After helping Roy find a complete set of clothes, Azik spoke in a low voice.

"Let me think about how to help Klein, or just prepare for his burial."

If I went to Backlund, I might not have been able to reach Tingen by now, let alone kill the enemy.

Back in the living room, he removed the half of the skull.

"Descendants of Death"

"It's a pity you're on the Diviner path, not its adjacent path, otherwise you could give it a try."

Azik sighed.

Then he put the skull down.

"Perhaps I should send you back so you can be laid to rest."

"Two days."

"If Roy and I can't come up with a solution within two days, we'll send you back."

After taking a shower, Azik told Roy about his decision.

Roy readily agreed.

but.

He quickly became curious—

Will Klein be able to do sit-ups and be resurrected in Mr. Azik's house in just two days?

That'll be interesting to watch.

Suddenly, Roy didn't want Azik to send the body back, but unfortunately he didn't have a convincing excuse.

"I hope you wake up."

Roy chuckled inwardly.

Nina was curiously observing him from the side, and Roy turned his head and realized that he hadn't fulfilled his "obligation" yet.

He coughed lightly and said, "Nina, the story..."

"What happened after that?"

She asked softly in Old Fusak.

Roy glanced at Azik and the two "residents".

"I don't think this is the right time to tell those stories."

A slight smile appeared on the other person's lips as they pointed in a direction: "That's the study. If you want to chat, you can go over there."

The owl circled merrily in the room before perching on the table and gracefully bowing with its wings to Azik.

"Okay, thank you, Mr. Azik."

Roy had no choice but to go into the study, pondering what to say as he walked.

"Quick, what happened next?"

"That mysterious queen founded the Dawn of Elements and rose to become a renowned figure on the seas..."

Roy picked out some things he could talk about and briefly recounted Bernadette's story afterward.

Some of it he read in books from the Steam Church, while the rest incorporated small "conjectures" and story adaptations.

such as.

She encountered numerous obstacles from the Morse Order at sea, and even killed one or two of its pillars.

Roy even incorporated content from novels he had read in his previous life, describing the process in a dramatic and vivid manner, as if it had truly happened.

Occasionally, it includes some inspiring quotes translated from the proverb "Never underestimate a young person's potential."

Nina listened intently.

"Everything the Mysterious Queen does is to provide a safer and more normal path for those who are extraordinary and seek the secrets to advance their careers."

"She is worthy of study by all of us extraordinary seekers of the secret path."

Roy gave his final summary.

Nina seemed to be there, excitedly flying up and down, finally exclaiming, "So cool! No wonder she's the Mysterious Queen!"

"Do you know her?"

"I've only heard about it."

"Then why do you dislike Roselle's story and prefer the story of the Mysterious Queen? The Emperor is probably more famous, isn't he?"

Roy said.

Nina pondered for a long time before saying, "Perhaps I know that Emperor Roselle wasn't all that great, so I'm a little disgusted by the story."

"By the way, what was that magic you used before? It conjured up a wooden horse to take us out."

"Trojan horse".

Nina answered without hesitation, "I can't tell you the specific story, although I don't know why."

Because mystics know from their "mystical reappearances" that the fewer people involved, the greater the power.

Roy answered for her in his mind.

Nina said, "Roy, tell me another story next time."

"it is good."

Roy nodded.

Nina glanced in the direction of Azik outside, then vanished in a phantom.

She is a mystic.

and so.

Is she researching the blood of the Grim Reaper pathway?

Roy couldn't help but be curious. After thinking for a second, he stopped speculating and got up to go outside.

"Mr. Azik."

"Are you done talking?"

Azik smiled.

Roy nodded awkwardly and said, "I can summon her to deliver the message for free, but I need to tell her a story to get her help."

"The messenger's requests are all sorts of strange, but you're lucky to have won her favor."

Azik stared intently at Roy, his gaze carrying a profound meaning.

but.

He himself wasn't very curious about these things.

Everyone has their own secrets.

Roy voiced his doubts.

"What kind of being is she? When I summoned her before, I actually wanted to make use of the extraordinary item within her. I never expected her to have such extraordinary abilities."

"I don't know."

Azik said, "This is part of what I've forgotten, but there's no doubt that her life was extraordinary, and I was inspired by her condition to save Dunn."

It turned out to be the case.

Based on Nina's condition and abilities, she is likely a mystic who studies the blood of the Grim Reaper.

but.

I don't know what went wrong, but she ended up like this. Maybe she had someone help her, like Dunn, or maybe it was some other extraordinary factor.

The mysterious world is full of wonders.

(End of this chapter)