The Evil God's oppressive aura paralyzed JoJo and Frank. They could only watch as Lu Li struck a bargain with the entity.
"What do you want from ?" Lu Li asked.
"Enter the swamp... Help
confront it..."
Clearly, the Mother of the Swamp was referring to the unknown Evil God.
"This is not an equal exchange," Lu Li countered, his brow furrowing.
"What do you want..." the Mother of the Swamp whispered.
"What do you have to offer?"
The sculpture of the Mother of the Swamp flickered. "There are people hiding in Tenebrae... My servants are closing in on them... Make a deal with ... I will tell you how to save them..."
Frank, trembling under the Evil God's aura, snapped his head up, only for his expression to fall.
Lu Li shouldn't—and wouldn't—risk his own life for strangers...
"All right. I'll do what I can," Lu Li said, looking at the statuette. "How do we seal this pact?"
"A pact... What is that..."
"A rule that prevents either party from breaking the agreent."
"I... am the Queen of the Shadow Swamp... the Mother of the Swamp... I do not break my bargains..."
It seed contracts were a human invention... Or perhaps Evil Gods simply had no use for them.
Lu Li didn't insist on a contract, knowing it would be pointless. He was no match for the Mother of the Swamp in power or status. Even if she broke the pact, there was nothing he could do about it.
With the bargain struck, Lu Li and the Mother of the Swamp went over the details.
In exchange for Lu Li's help, the Mother of the Swamp would first help him find Oliver and save the town's residents. Then, Lu Li would fulfill his side of the agreent.
The townspeople were hiding in a barn a mile away. Hiding among them was a follower of the unknown Evil God. He had summoned his patron and directed its servants toward the barn.
"How do I save them?" Lu Li asked.
"Ring the bell in the church tower... The servants will be drawn to the sound..."
Once the servants sward the church, the people would have only one path to escape: the Shadow Swamp.
"Take the statuette... It will guide you... You will not be hard..." whispered the Mother of the Swamp.
Lu Li walked toward the statuette, but as he drew closer, the detector on his wrist began to click frantically.
"It's affecting my Mind Level," Lu Li said, frowning.
"The statuette contains my power..."
"Weaken it. Leave only enough for us to communicate."
The statuette's violet glow dimd. The oppressive aura of the Evil God began to dissipate. JoJo and Frank felt a wave of relief wash over them.
The detector stopped clicking. The statuette of the Mother of the Swamp now looked like an ordinary clay figurine.
Only Lu Li could hear the whisper in his mind:
"I... have weakened my power..."
Lu Li approached the statuette again. The detector was silent. When he picked up the figurine, the detector gave a soft click, then fell silent once more as Lu Li slipped it into his pocket.
Anna appeared beside him, her expression puzzled. "Is it worth it? To confront an Evil God just to save strangers? They won't even know what you've done."
"That doesn't matter," Lu Li replied.
He felt he had to do it, and that was reason enough.
Anna gazed at Lu Li intently. "No matter what happens, I won't let you get hurt."
"All right," Lu Li seed to offer a faint smile and walked over to JoJo.
Anna froze, stunned by his reply. He... just... smiled...?
"I'm coming too!" JoJo exclaid before Lu Li could say anything.
Lu Li nodded, then turned to Frank without further explanation. "It's better if you don't co with us."
His words brought Frank a sense of relief, but at the sa ti, he felt a pang of guilt.
"We'll part ways here. Later, I'll have the Mother of the Swamp's servants guide you out of the church. After that, we'll ring the bell and enter the Shadow Swamp."
"My servants are already here..." whispered the Mother of the Swamp.
Lu Li glanced toward the stairs. A rustling sound was coming from that direction.
A six-limbed creature erged into the lamplight.
JoJo and Frank flinched but quickly cald down.
They trusted the six-limbed creature because Lu Li trusted it.
Frank suddenly rembered sothing, took an amulet from around his neck, snapped the red thread, and held it out to JoJo hopefully. "It's a family heirloom. My parents left it to . It will protect you..."
"You should give it to Lu Li," JoJo replied with a smile, gently pushing the amulet away.
A flicker of disappointnt crossed Frank's face, but he smiled again and offered the amulet to Lu Li. "Mr. Lu Li, please take it."
Lu Li didn't refuse. He slipped the amulet onto his wrist and handed the lamp to Frank.
Frank took the lamp and walked over to the six-limbed creature. Before leaving, he turned back. "You'll definitely find Mr. Oliver."
The lamplight disappeared around a bend. The footsteps faded into silence.
After Frank left, Lu Li and JoJo waited. After a few minutes, Lu Li went back upstairs and watched as Anna ascended the tower.
Glancing out over the blood-soaked Tenebrae, Anna averted her gaze, looked down at Lu Li, and struck the bell.
Dong!
The bloody rain around the tower dissipated. A deep toll echoed into the distance. Tenebrae fell silent, but sothing was brewing, ready to erupt at any mont.
Anna returned to the church and descended into the cellar with Lu Li.
As they were closing the stone door, roars and the flapping of wings could be heard from outside.
The creatures would soon break into the church and find the entrance to the cellar.
But by then, Lu Li and JoJo would already be in the Shadow Swamp.
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