Maria habitually wanted to tug on the front of her white coat, only to realize she wasn't wearing her usual lab coat today but a normal outfit instead.
She practically spent almost her whole life in laboratories, so wearing other clothes besides her white lab coat were rare occurrences. She had devoted her entire life to the Truth Union, but today she was going to see a special person.
Maria rubbed the stone slab fragnt in her pocket and could sense the strong life force from it.
As soone quite ordinary, who frequently encountered bottlenecks, Maria was eager to have herself breakthrough. She eventually chose to go to the Lower District to gain experience, finally managing to withstand the contamination, made a breakthrough, and obtained the fragnt of the Witch of Life.
This piece had been her courage and insurance. It was by relying on this fragnt was she able to survive deep in the Lower District that was full of contamination.
With her long black hair cascading down her back like a waterfall, Maria pushed up her glasses. In front of her was 23rd Avenue.
She stood there, hands in the pockets of her gray windbreaker as she gazed at the shabby bookstore that didn't even have a signboard.
The boss is seated at the counter talking to a girl who, according to intelligence, should be the bookstore owner's assistant and... at the sa ti, also another leader of the Sun's Faith.
"Boss Lin, the new store has been readied, and I can officially go over today," said Mu'en.
Lin Jie nodded, informing her of a few things she needed to take note of, and reminded her to be careful on her way.
Maria stood outside the door and only heard the tail end of this conversation.
It sounded normal enough.
But when she thought about the intelligence reports ntioning that the new branch was already occupied by a large number of high level Sun's Faith followers after being open for a day, Maria couldn't help but feel that it was rather ominous.
Mu'en nodded at last and walked out of the bookstore. The mont she turned around, her calm eyes t Maria's gaze.
In that mont, Maria's entire body stiffened up as if she had seen a dark and ancient night sky.
She remained motionless, even after Mu'en had completely passed her by. A warning-like heat ca from the fragnt nestled in her palm.
"Did you see sothing you like? Since you are already here, why don't you co in and have a look? You've been standing at the door for quite so ti."
Lin Jie had originally co to close the door but hadn't expected to see soone standing outside.
Since you are already outside my store, it ans you are a custor of mine. Adhering to this principle, Lin smiled and opened the door wider.
Maria's tense body loosened up, though her original confidence and air had been weakened by her brief encounter with Mu'en.
To be able to keep this level of power for himself...
The bookstore owner was perhaps even more powerful than she had imagined.
However, Maria wasn't one to fear strength. She dared to face challenges head on, whether it was heading to the Lower District or coming to the bookstore today.
As the Chairman of the Truth Union, and as Hood's family, there were so things she needed to find out. Thus, Maria stepped forward and headed to the bookstore owner.
"Hello, miss, are you looking to get so books?" asked Lin Jie with a bright smile.
Maria looked around the bookstore, took a deep breath, and returned a smile. "I'm from the Truth Union and heard that Boss Lin, the owner of this bookstore, is rather knowledgeable, so I ca to visit."
Lin was surprised by the increasing number of Truth Union personnel that were visiting his bookstore. He wondered who was spreading the word and praising him to the high heavens.
As he thought about it, he realized it could only be Andrew. Haa, I was just helping him out with so of his research in alchemy, but... I do hope more of you guys co!
Lin Jie imdiately waved it off modestly. "I rely read a few more books than others, such praise is exaggerated."
"Boss Lin is being too modest," Maria said, faking a smile. "It was my nephew, Hood, who said he was transford entirely after receiving your teachings once."
Hood's strange transformation and powers were too similar to those afflicted beings in the Lower District. This Lin Jie was definitely sohow connected to the Lower District.
Lin Jie chuckled and replied humbly, "Hood is just naturally talented. I rely gave him so guidance and he's already made remarkable progress."
Ahh, so this is Hood's aunt, the head of the Truth Union that had been in seclusion.
She can't be here to seek redress... so she's here for sothing else. I'll just praise Hood first and hope that the beating he got when he first ca to try and burglarize my store will be forgotten...
Thus, Lin Jie said, "Hood's made trendous progress in the last half a year and I believe it's related to his newfound love for books. Are you also interested in the books he is reading? Why not get one and see how it goes?"
"I'm not here to buy books," Maria said, stealing a peek at the shelf behind the bookstore owner.
To her, it looked like an endless vortex that rocked her soul. She realized that the bookstore owner's trick was to give books which contained imnse power to those he selected. The chosen ones couldn't resist their desire for power and accepted the books, but at that mont, they were also consud by the books and beca followers of the bookstore owner.
It was a clever trap, where people voluntarily got themselves hooked on the hook.
She quickly turned away, not wanting to be tempted by the bookstore owner's words. It seed that she couldn't sustain this verbal sparring. Maria subconsciously tightened the zips on her pockets. It was ti to let him know whose protection she had received.
"Is there sothing else you would like to talk about?" Lin Jie asked skeptically.
The corner of Maria's lips curled up slightly as she slowly took out the stone fragnt from her pocket. "You... probably know what this is, right?"
A cold glint flashed across her eyes. In her head, she had already foreseen the look of shock and panic on Lin Jie's face once he saw the token that belonged to the Witch of Life.
After all, in all ways, the Witch of Life was his natural enemy. If he truly ca from the Lower District, then that fire ignited in the darkness was the light that can dispel the corruption...
Maria gradually awakened the fragnt by injecting power into it, and this power pulsated like a heartbeat, making her even more excited.
Lin Jie blinked twice when he saw this very familiar fragnt and his smile froze.
Maria scoffed in her heart and felt very pleased to see Lin Jie's false smile shatter like a mask.
"Ahh, it's actually this..." Lin Jie was taken back for a mont, but then his lips twitched and he continued, "What a coincidence. I was talking to a custor yesterday and said that this third fragnt might co to one day, like a miracle of fate."
Maria's eyes widened in shock as she stared incredulously at Lin Jie as he reached under the counter and brought out two boxes which he opened.
And thus, as if mass-produced, two similar fragnts appear in front of Maria.
"You... How?!" How do you have a treasure that I nearly gave up my life to obtain? Moreover, it's the mortal enemy of that corruption. Any existence from the Lower District ought to fear it!
Maria felt her head spinning, but the fragnts before her were indeed genuine and contained the vibrant power of the Witch of Life.
That pulsating tempo intensified, causing Maria's own heart to beat along with it, making her feel uneasy.
"They were all gifts from custors," said Lin Jie as he toyed with the two fragnts. "Speaking of which, I've been researching these two fragnts for the past few days and have made so progress.
"Looks like you're here to discuss these fragnts as well, eh? It appears that you are an academic as well as an archeology enthusiast?" Lin Jie chuckled. "Look, this one was gifted by the Church of Pestilence."
"Oh, right. Do you know about the Church of Pestilence?" Lin Jie said as if he had just recalled sothing. "They are a religious group from the Lower District, and they also asked about these fragnts. They even want to head over to give a lecture and said they would spare no effort to find the last piece.
"But look, the final piece ca just like that. That's why, it's said that fate works in wondrous ways... Eh? Miss Custor, are you alright?"
Lin Jie was surprised to notice Maria's dilated pupils and the way she covered her mouth, as if she had just seen sothing absolutely terrifying.
"I... I'm fine." Maria shook her head with so difficulty, trying her best to stay calm.
Even though it had been several months since she had left the Lower District, just recalling the cruelty and darkness of the Church of Pestilence as well as the residents of the Lower District made her feel nauseated.
Those people lived in the underground, never seeing the light of day. Muddy water, churning with viscera and bits of flesh, flowed continuously at a level that was never below their calves. Their dead could not be buried in the loose and slimy mud and so were crushed into a part of their underground ecosystem by mining tools as they decomposed.
Those people... perhaps they could no longer be called people, had eyes that were narrow and filled with malice. Their skin was hard and rough, even scaly. Tentacles had covered most of their head, making it hard for Maria to see their full appearance. Or perhaps, because each of them had their own unique deformities.
But there was one thing that was the sa. They would always raise their head and look up at the soil above, as if waiting for sothing...
She once speculated that the Church of the Pestilence that worshiped these strange mutations might have been awaiting for the return of the source of their mutations. And thus, their desire to return to the surface never faded.
And now, the bookstore owner said he wanted to give a lecture to the masses of the Church of Pestilence?
Those monsters of the Church of Pestilence were actually waiting for the bookstore owner to head to the Lower District... Could it be that the man before Maria was the one the Church of Pestilence were waiting for?!
As if her heart was gripped by sothing, Maria felt a sensation akin to suffocation.
The passageway regulated by the Truth Union had been destroyed, and at the sa ti, the Ash Chamber of Comrce had claid to excavated a second passageway. Now, the Church of Pestilence's ambition had been revealed. All of it was no coincidence but a conspiracy that had long been planned!
"If you say so." As Lin Jie said, he prepared himself to receive the third fragnt.
Maria's eyes were wide open, and fear spread over her like a rising tide. She clutched the fragnt tightly in her hand and tried to pull it back.
However, at that mont, she suddenly found herself unable to move!
No...don't...no, no...
Maria was sweating profusely as she saw the shadow reflected on the wall move slowly, and her own arm seed to be controlled by it as she slowly presented the fragnt to Boss Lin as if it were a treasure.
No!!! Maria scread internally.
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