Gentle morning sunlight stread through the translucent glass do, casting dappled patterns of colored light upon the round table in the Sacred Hall. The atmosphere was thick with tension; the matter they were discussing concerned the very safety of the entire city.
"So, just how many individuals are there inside the manor?"
Jenkins voiced the question aloud.
"We can't get an exact count," Mr. Gilbert replied. "Based on the party's guest list and the number of servants employed by the Countess, we can only make a rough estimate of around three hundred."
"Can the arcane lock be broken?"
The question ca from a woman seated to Jenkins's left, wearing a wide-brimd black hat. It was Cheris Conlan, the current guardian of the Hall of Fa Library. She appeared quite young, but her true age was impossible to guess.
"Aside from killing the caster of the ritual, there are currently no other effective ways to break the arcane lock."
The answer ca from Wood Broshier, an elder of the Keepers. He was the only level-nine Benefactor present and the supre leader of the Sage Church's Keepers of Secrets.
"What's the strength of the cursed ones inside the manor? Could we make a swift, direct entry and locate the ritual site?"
The question ca from Donas Yassen, a middle-aged man who was Miss Bevanna's teacher. He was one of the demigods permanently stationed in Bel Diran, known by the title "Left Hand of the Sanctuary."
"That would be difficult. We've only managed to explore the outer courtyard so far. As it stands, the arcane lock automatically suppresses high-level Benefactors—the higher the level, the stronger the suppression. What's more, the cursed are drawn to powerful Benefactors, while lower-level ones are typically only attacked if they get too close to the servants. I suspect a demigod's presence would trigger a backlash from the entire lock. If it were to shatter and the cursed were to escape, the danger would be far greater than it is now..."
Mr. Gilbert explained.
"So, the plan is to send in low-level Benefactors to scout and kill most of the cursed. Then, before they can 'resurrect,' a demigod moves in to quickly eliminate the caster of the arcane lock?"
Jenkins summarized, and indeed, it was the best plan the Church had managed to devise so far.
The presud culprit was the beautiful countess. The Church's investigation into her background had hit a dead end; they could find no concrete trace of her origins. All of her previous identities turned out to be forgeries. The only thing they could confirm was that she had lived in Nolan for a ti before arriving in Bel Diran and eting the Count. This led them to believe she was one of the few vampires who had managed to escape Nolan unscathed back in January.
Her motive for casting the arcane lock remained a mystery. But regardless, the top priority was to eliminate all the cursed individuals and dismantle the lock as swiftly as possible.
The Church recognized this and had already sent word to the other churches. Even though Bel Diran had always been the Sage Church's "territory," this incident was far too risky to be handled by one church alone.
The temporary plan was to dispatch low-level Benefactors to scout ahead. Teams of Benefactors from the Orthodox Churches in the areas surrounding Bel Diran were quickly assembled. To prepare for any potential incidents within the manor, the teams, originally grouped by their faith in different gods, were broken up and reorganized. This ensured that each new squad would be equipped to handle any challenge they might face.
"Warriors, spellcasters, healers, diviners, knights for ranged support..."
The periter of Countess Paramont's manor was completely sealed off, and a temporary forward base had been erected with the help of supernatural powers. Jenkins sat in a room assigned to the Sage Church, reviewing the operational plan. He couldn't help but reflect that while tis had changed, the composition of a combat squad was ultimately returning to the model of the adventurer parties from the ancient, magic-filled eras.
He was publicly registered as a level-five Benefactor, placing him in the upper-middle tier of combatants. This was strategic; before a Saint drew upon their divine power, the arcane lock was completely unable to sense their true strength. This ant he wouldn't trigger a backlash, so the Church was planning to use him as their ace in the hole.
Unfortunately, Jenkins was the only Saint of an Orthodox God currently in the Bel Diran region. As a result, his mission was a daunting one.
Until most of the manor's grounds were explored, Jenkins was to remain in his room on standby. When the call finally ca, it would likely be ti to begin the official push to clear a path through the entire estate.
"Immortal enemies, ticulously assembled teams, a final boss of unknown power... Why does this sound so much like raiding a dungeon in a video ga? A dungeon raid... how long has it been since I last heard that phrase?"
A wave of lancholy washed over him at the thought. He reached over, scooped up the cat that was batting a paper ball around on the table, and settled her onto his lap for a petting session. The cat had appeared from so unknown corner after Jenkins had left the Sacred Hall eting that morning, much to his relief. Still, he made a ntal note to consider putting a leash on Chocolate to keep her from wandering off.
A paw swatted sharply at his hand, though he couldn't tell if she was displeased with his petting or had so other reason. He'd had Chocolate for half a year now, yet Jenkins still felt he didn't fully understand his own cat.
She was smarter, more energetic, and healthier than any pet he'd ever known; sotis, she barely acted like a cat at all. But Chocolate was Chocolate. She was the creature who had been by his side the longest in this strange new world, and as long as she stayed, Jenkins didn't really care what she truly was.
Chocolate, dozing on Jenkins's knees and enjoying the petting, read his thoughts. She quietly lifted her head, studying his expression, wondering if he had already guessed everything.
The [Blood Mosquito Curse], combined with a vast and seemingly unbreakable arcane lock, had transford the sealed manor into a massive and complex labyrinth of death. The estate itself wasn't originally very large, but under the corrupting influence of the arcane lock, it had taken a full half-day just to explore the outer courtyard.
On Sunday evening, after dinner, Jenkins was told to prepare to move out. Before the summons ca, Mr. Gilbert had stopped by to see him, offering a few words of caution.
"The exploration hasn't gone well. We've only managed to clear a path from the courtyard entrance to the manor itself, and even that ca at a steep cost. While no one has died, at least three individuals have been confird victims of the [Blood Mosquito Curse]. They're in quarantine now while the Church prepares offerings to call upon the gaze of the Great Ones. When you set out with your team, you cannot carry any Series A or B items. They will trigger a backlash from the arcane lock. Your squad has been assigned to explore the interior of the manor. The mont sothing feels wrong, I want you to pull out imdiately."
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