Jenkins lifted his head, his gaze traveling past the edge of his hood to the disgusting mass of flesh blocking the exit in the ceiling.
He could easily blast the blockage away with [Twin Demons], but escaping would still be a challenge. The creature, A-12-02-4219, possessed incredible regenerative abilities and would undoubtedly try to stop him again.
"Will you help ?"
While Jenkins was weighing his options, the woman asked in a low voice. When he remained silent, she added, "I can offer sothing in return."
Jenkins remained silent, his attention fixed on the points of light floating before his eyes. At last, his gaze settled on the golden mote representing [Knowledge Bestowal].
The mass of flesh was imnse, and its regenerative abilities were obviously extraordinary. Obliterating it with an explosion or incinerating it would be difficult. Its intellect, however, was clearly nascent. If, as Alexia Miller had once suggested, he could bestow upon it so bizarre and burdenso knowledge, he might be able to paralyze it temporarily.
Miss Alexandrite stood to the side, looking as if she wanted to say more, but Jenkins—projecting an air of imnse power that might very well have been real—raised a hand to silence her.
"What are you using to ward off its ntal attacks?"
he asked.
Miss Alexandrite pointed to a silver cross pendant on a shelf. Jenkins took it and clasped it in his hand.
"Stay right behind , understand?"
"Understood."
The woman obediently moved to stand behind him.
Jenkins considered taking everything in the room with him. However, aside from the painting, most of the items were too large to conceal on his person, and moving them would attract unwanted attention. Furthermore, he couldn't possibly use so many sensitive artifacts himself, and their sudden appearance in Nolan would imdiately cast suspicion on him.
"I already have a considerable fortune," he thought. "I shouldn't get greedy over what amounts to pocket change."
Suppressing the ache of passing up such treasures, Jenkins activated [Knowledge Bestowal] in the gloom.
Two intertwined ribbons of silver light materialized around Jenkins, swirling like a rushing river. Scenes flashed within the bands of light—one contained the mories of his past life, the other, the mories of Jenkins. Where they intersected, the knowledge he had gained since arriving in this world resided.
He hesitated for a mont, then raised a finger. With a light flick, he pointed at the face on the ceiling. An irregularly shaped shard of light shot out from the galaxy-like stream and plunged directly into the fleshy mass.
As a precaution, the knowledge he bestowed was nothing more than the aningless static from the Month's End Whisper. Even so, the cacophony was enough to drive any sentient being mad.
"Gurgle... heh... gurgle..."
The strange, gurgling laughter continued, but it grew steadily fainter. The creature's terrible eyes slowly rolled back, showing only the whites, before fluttering shut.
The mass of flesh on the ceiling roiled and peeled away, tumbling to the floor. It bounced a few tis before settling, its color shifting to a filthy blood-red—the Cursed Item's true hue.
From beneath Miss Alexandrite's hood ca the distinct sound of a nervous swallow.
"Hungry?"
he asked.
"No. I—Sir. When do you intend to leave?"
Just as he'd planned, A-12-02-4219 couldn't withstand the influx of knowledge, but it wasn't completely dead either. This would make it easier to explain things to the Church later:
Its fusion with Constantine Sir hadn't gone smoothly, leaving it a mindless wreck.
The two of them scrambled through the opening in the ceiling, stepping over the twitching carpet of flesh and into the basent corridor. From there, they made the arduous climb back to ground level.
Miss Alexandrite stopped and looked down at her translucent form.
"It seems this is the boundary," she said. "Thank you for your help, Mr. Zircon."
She lowered her head, tracing a holy symbol over her chest that Jenkins didn't recognize before thanking him again in a quiet voice. It had to be the symbol of a Pseudo-God, as he knew the emblems of all Twelve Orthodox Gods.
"Farewell, Miss Alexandrite," Jenkins said. "And try not to attend such dangerous gatherings so casually in the future."
She let out a strained laugh.
"Sir, your power is beyond anything I can imagine. But for low-level Enchanters like myself, if we don't actively seek out opportunities, we might never advance. Even a level 8 Enchanter like Constantine Sir had to take desperate risks when his life drew to a close, just to find a way to prolong it. What chance do the rest of us have..."
Her voice faded before she could finish. With a wave of her hand, the woman turned, her body dissolving completely into motes of yellow light that scattered into the strange space.
The Hamparvo Kingdom. Ruen.
The fireplace crackled, consuming expensive logs. A faint, fragrant incense wafted through the air, rising from an alloy burner sculpted in the shape of a phoenix that sat beside a table.
In the opulent lounge, Dolores Elizabeth Stuart awoke on a plush red sofa. Her eyelashes fluttered, revealing a pair of stunning blue eyes.
She glanced around, disoriented, flexing her fingers to ground herself in reality. Taking a deep breath, she reached for a glass on the round table beside the sofa and downed the expensive, amber liquid in a single gulp. The alcohol finally settled her frayed nerves.
She settled back into her seat, the long hem of her dress pooling on the floor around her red, jewel-encrusted heels. The young woman subconsciously touched an earlobe; the small diamond earring, a nto from her late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth III, was still there.
Turning her head, she saw that an elegant brass gas lamp was already lit beside the floor-to-ceiling window. Its bright fla cast a warm glow, and the snow-covered ground outside twinkled in its reflection.
"So, I made it back safely."
Dolores sighed, her mind replaying the recent events. A wistful feeling ca over her as she recalled the mysterious and powerful Mr. Zircon.
She shook her head, dispelling the inexplicable lancholy. As the third princess of the Hamparvo Kingdom, she had to remain elegant, noble, and composed at all tis.
She stood, cupped a hand to her mouth, and let out an exaggerated cough. A few seconds later, there was a frantic knock at the door. A young maid entered, but only after being granted permission.
"Your... Your Highness, you were gone for so long this ti! I was so worried, I nearly... Are you alright, Your Highness?"
The maid first shut the door behind her, then rushed to Dolores's side, her voice trembling on the verge of tears.
She wore a plain, long dress with a white collar, covered by a white, ruffled apron. A matching headdress sat on her hair, and the apron's sash was tied into a drooping bow at her back. On her feet were a pair of small, black leather shoes.
"There's no need to worry, I'm fine."
Dolores murmured, comforting her maid before cautiously asking, "Did anyone notice anything unusual?"
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