They couldn't take too long to prepare, or the Mysterious Realm would shift into sothing even more bizarre from their inaction. The trio braved the sinister wind and approached the deford man, relying on the light from Jenkins's candle to keep their footing against the terrifying psychic assault.
From what Jenkins had just gathered, Magic Miss had perford a peculiar ritual beforehand to learn the nature of this Mysterious Realm. The rite had cost her most of her savings and Silver Flute Miss all of hers. Clearly, however, their information was incomplete. Had Mr. Candle not been present, they would have struggled just to stand before the grotesque figure.
Of course, as usual, everyone had subconsciously overlooked the fact that an adorable cat had also entered the Mysterious Realm.
"Welco, adventurers."
Its voice was strange and grating, as if it were speaking through a mouthful of phlegm. Three pairs of eyes fixed on Jenkins's candle, and the corners of its mouth slowly curled upward, resembling the terrifying makeup of a circus clown.
"Behind is a tavern, and you must entertain three guests for . Once you've done that, you may leave. Of course, these guests are... far from ordinary..."
The three vertically stacked pairs of eyes turned to look at the three of them, lending its face a bizarrely comical quality.
"They detest humans. Therefore, you will need to assu new identities before entering the tavern."
As it spoke, its six arms waved in unison. Three cracks of thunder imdiately split the gloomy sky, and a sudden downpour descended, drenching the unprepared group to the bone.
Though Chocolate had been prepared enough to scramble into Jenkins's arms for shelter, it was still cross about getting so of its fur wet.
Jenkins, however, didn't notice Chocolate's mood. He stood in the rain, eyes fixed cautiously on the three coffins that had descended from the sky with the thunder.
"Greystone Ratn, the Blood-sucking Kind, Frost Giants... which identity do you prefer?"
According to Magic Miss's intelligence, the key to this Mysterious Realm was using different non-human identities to converse with the patrons in the dilapidated tavern. The two won hoped to obtain sothing through this process—she'd been vague about the details—but had stressed that the choice of identity was crucial for their survival.
As they had agreed, the two won would choose first, but Jenkins still mulled over what he would pick if the choice were his alone.
"The Greystone Ratn?"
The thought of that race imdiately brought back the recent, unpleasant mory of being turned into a mouse and rcilessly tornted by Chocolate.
Jenkins shook his head vigorously, like a dog shaking off water, trying to banish the unpleasant mory. The feeling of being under Chocolate's paws had been truly terrifying.
"ow~"
The cat owed softly, as if it, too, hoped Jenkins would forget the incident quickly.
"The Blood-sucking Kind?"
Jenkins likely wouldn't choose this option either, as the creatures were hideous. The terrifying non-humans from the vampire incident had mostly used supernatural powers to assu human form, but Jenkins knew what the species looked like on average.
"Then... the Frost Giants?"
The giants were a powerful non-human race active before the 10th Epoch, but their disappearance predated even the great decline of non-human species in the material world. Not even Papa Oliver or the Keeper of Secrets knew the reason why. Professor Burns, however, had a theory: he believed it was connected to the legendary War of Kings, a struggle for supremacy among the ancient races.
While he was lost in thought, Magic Miss and Silver Flute Miss made their choices. As expected, they had co prepared. Faced with a three-option multiple-choice question, they had sohow managed to find a write-in answer.
"I believe we have other options."
With that, both won opened their suitcases. Inside Magic Miss's case lay an ancient runic pendant cast from solid gold. It was crafted entirely from the precious tal, without a single gemstone set into it. The rune hailed from the lost civilization of the 12th Epoch; Jenkins had studied such artifacts before but was still unable to decipher it.
In Silver Flute Miss's case was, of course, the item she had spent a fortune to acquire: the legendary crown of the lost kingdom of Deisman.
Judging by their spiritual auras, the runic pendant was a numbered item, whereas the crown was an ordinary antique. Both were being drenched by the rain, yet they now emitted a colorful glow visible to the naked eye. This likely had nothing to do with the items themselves; after all, Jenkins hadn't seen the crown glowing at the auction.
The appearance of these two items drew the attention of the multi-limbed, malford creature. It extended two of its hands, pointing at each woman in turn, and uttered a bizarre, incomprehensible sound. The noise was sharp and piercing, even worse than nails scraping across glass.
"Excellent. Then your choices are: the Rune Folk! And the Deathless of Deisman!"
These were non-human races Jenkins had never heard of—ancient peoples lost in the crevices of history.
The voice cut through the curtain of heavy rain. Another bolt of lightning tore through the sky, striking Magic Miss and Silver Flute Miss directly. Simultaneously, two clumps of spiritual energy shot out from the storm of souls swirling around the creature and plunged into the won's bodies.
The astonishing energy and heat made the very ground tremble. As Jenkins stepped back, he found himself worrying that the dilapidated building behind the creature might collapse.
When the dust and sizzling sparks of black electricity finally dissipated, the figures of Magic Miss and Silver Flute Miss reappeared before Jenkins.
Magic Miss's body was now composed of pure energy. All manner of runes flowed within her translucent, golden form. Her face had flattened, her features completely vanishing to leave a blank surface, while her hair had transford into a series of interconnected, glowing runic clasps.
The runic pendant used to prove her identity rested in the center of her chest, forming a complex link with the other runes flowing through her body.
Her appearance alone was a testant to how powerful Magic Miss had beco. This follower of the God of Rituals was truly extraordinary.
Silver Flute Miss, on the other hand, still possessed a physical body, but she had grown at least three feet taller, and her face had beco long and sharp. Her chin tapered to a point like an awl. It was the most extre V-shaped face Jenkins had ever witnessed.
The crown sat upon her head, making her appearance all the more bizarre.
"If you dare comnt on our appearances right now, I swear I'll make you pay, even if I can't beat you!"
Magic Miss shouted the warning just as Jenkins opened his mouth to speak.
She no longer possessed human vocal organs, speaking entirely by vibrating the air with her own power. It was a terrifying way to communicate, and Jenkins worried that if her energy form opened its 'mouth,' it might unleash a shockwave or a blast of pure energy.
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