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Shirley left quickly with Dog while Duncan shifted his gaze from the distant intersection and landed on the factoryās ruins again.
After the ghost fire faded and the invisible curtain closed, the factory had returned to its previous ānormalā appearance ā the traces of the fire were completely erased, and the ubiquitous ashes also gone, hidden into the nothingness like it had for the past eleven years.
Duncanās gaze slowly shifted upwards, past the factory roof until it reached the sky. He imagined, picturing a veil like a blanket, quietly covering the surroundings and obscuring the truth under reality.
Although there are not many residents remaining in the sixth block after the incident, there are still thousands left. Yet, under the eyes and noses of thousands still living here, the invisible curtain obscured the truth for eleven years.
Thinking of this, Duncan suddenly furrowed his forehead.
The truth in the factory is a fire, and Dog also confirmed that there is no chemical pollution residue around the factory. Since there is none of the so-called āpollutionā⦠then why did the entire sixth block not have any newborns for so long?!
If the real problem isnāt due to chemicals leaking, then it must be a different contaminationā¦. Is it some force from the transcendent realm preventing the birth of new babies?
Duncan looked thoughtfully at the sky.
Looks likeā¦ā¦ the invisible curtain is bigger than I had imagined.
ā¦ā¦
āWe ran out⦠Really ran out?ā In a leaky and dirty alley some way out from the sixth block, Shirley carefully poked her head out of the alley, cautiously observing whether there were police patrolling the roads nearby.
āItās not that we ran out. Itās the big boss letting us go.ā Dog replies while hiding underneath a corner of the wall where the shadow was at its thickest.
āItās all the XXXX same meaning,ā Shirley waved her hand, then plopped her ass down on the ground without caring about her own image. āThat XXXX scared me to death⦠I was so scared that I almost couldnāt breathe. I had to not swear, pretend to be good, andā¦. Dog, can you say something?ā
āI know, I see more than you can, did you forgot?ā The voice in the shadow spoke faintly in a squirming manner, āHow does it feel, isnāt walking with a smiling shadow of subspace more tiring than dealing with a group of vicious policemen?ā
āā¦ā¦ Donāt say it, Iām getting the shivers just remembering.ā Shirley rolled her eyes and shot a blaming look over, āItās all your fault for scaring me so badly last time. If I had known nothing, then I definitely wouldnāt have todayā¦. Hey, why do you think a big boss like him is walking about pretending to be a normal person? He even squeezed onto the bus like everyone else, and even bought the bus ticket! I never thought we would bump into each other again in this fashion!ā
The hound was silent for two seconds: ā⦠Maybe itās just a hobby, or maybe itās been staring at you. This is what Iām most afraid of⦠We have now dealt with that existence so the connection will only get more deep and entangledā¦ā
Shirley shuddered some more and asked cautiously, āYou mean⦠we will really meet again? Please spare meā¦.ā
āHave you forgotten what he said when you parted?ā The hound sighed, āHeāll find us.ā
Shirley went mute there, only lowering her head in silence like she didnāt know how to take it. Then after a good full minute, it was Dog who broke the silence: āWhat? Scared now? Regret it? Thatās a little too late now⦠I reminded you thereās nothing good in dealing with the transcendents and the ones they fight. Look at us now. Weāre stuck dealing with a force beyond human imagination. If you had listened to my advice a few months ago and didnāt investigate the old stuff, you would still be living peacefullyā¦ā
āRegret my XXXX!ā Shirley lowered her head some more and viciously interrupted Dogās voice, āI regret nothing, and I wonāt into the future! Donāt say such annoying stuff again!ā
āOkay, okay, I wonāt say it. Have you rested enough? Itās almost time for us to leave, didnāt that ānew friendā of yours make an appointment with you?ā
āI⦠Iāll wait two more minutes,ā Shirley pulled her hair while muffling the next sentence, āmy legs are a little weak, wait a bitā¦ā
Dog was left speechless. Instead of bashing her partner for being more cowardly than him now, he issued out a hoarse purr and wriggled out of the corner and into her shadow.
ā¦ā¦
At lunchtime, Vanna took a huge bite out of the jam-coated bread and took no time to finish off the rest of the slice. She choked due to the fast eating, but nothing a large glass of wine wouldnāt solve.
āVanna, eat more elegantly, and donāt drink wine as water.ā Uncle Danteās voice came from across the table, his tone helpless and pleading.
āHeretics donāt wait. Shortening my meal time will help in sending those heretics to meet the goddess.ā Vanna glances up and retorts while already stuffing her mouth full of another item, which only makes it worse in the eye of her uncle. āAnd this is not a banquet outsideā¦.ā
āYou should also pay attention to etiquette at home. Sooner or later, you will not be able to get married.ā Dante looked at his niece, who was already of marriage age, with worry and urgency. Most wouldāve at least brought a boyfriend home at some point, yet their family had none of that. āAigh, it is better to say youāre already unable to get married anymoreā¦ā
Vannaās ferocious eating finally slowed down after that. The young female inquisitor looked all embarrassed while objecting: āI⦠the duties of the inquisitorā¦ā
āThe Storm Church does not prohibit priests and nuns from marrying, and the inquisitors also have normal families. I have also read and recited the Storm Codex.ā Dante shook his head, āSeriously, are there really no suitable candidates?ā
Vanna lowered her head and poked the bread on the plate with a dinner knife like a meek child: āThe main problem is that thereās no one capable of beating meā¦ā
āā¦ā¦ When you go back, ask if you can take the oath back.ā Dante sighed deeply, āYou never shouldāve sworn those oaths in so casually, especially the first one about must having a strong man as a partner. Why didnāt Bishop Valentine stop you back thenā¦ā
Vannaās head drooped a little lower again until itās on her shoulder, but due to her tall stature, even her defeated posture was enough to be two heads above her uncleās. Sounding muffled and weak: āThere is no way to take back the oath easily. It is a sacred agreement made in front of the goddess. Besidesā¦. I am not someone who makes an oath so casually. Almost all female guardians have taken one. Itās a symbol of our bravery bestowed upon us by the storm, proof that the goddessā¦ā
Dante silently stared at his niece, who was two heads taller than him: āThen have you ever imagined that you will one day become invincible in the world by training so much?ā
Vanna: ā⦠Isnāt this for the second and third articles of the oathā¦ā
Dante: āAighā¦..ā
This topic had been discussed countless times over the past few years, which always ended awkwardly for both or in a stalemate. Unfortunately, this time was no exception.
However, Vanna had never been one to get dragged down for long. Quickly adjusting her mood, she solved the battle on the dinner plate with amazing speed before getting up to leave: āIām done eating, Uncle⦠Huh? ā
Vanna jerked to a stop, staring at her uncle with surprise and shock while pointing to his prosthetic ruby eye: āUncle, the wound near your eye is oozing blood⦠You okay?ā
āHuh?ā Dante was stunned for a moment but quickly reached up and touched it. After confirming it was blood, he ran to a mirror to see for himself. From the round ruby making up his fake eye was indeed a trickle of blood slowly seeping down his cheek, the scar around the eye more striking and frightening now than ever.
āDonāt move,ā Vanna hurriedly approached from behind, placed her hands around Danteās forehead and whispered the words of the Storm Codex. āMay the sea breeze moisturize the body and make this flesh and blood heal.ā
Under the action of the divine prayer, Dante felt a slight itch near his wound before the small bleeding stopped. Sounding a little helpless: āDonāt make such a fuss. This is not the first time anyways; after all, a cold metallic ball with rubies is bound to cause irritation when rubbing against the skin.ā
The expression on Vannaās face did not relax at all. On the contrary, she continued to stare into Danteās ruby eye, and only after a long time did she ask: āDo you feel anything else? Is there a burning tingle? Or see some illusions through this ruby eyeball?ā
Dante blinked without flinching or fluctuating emotion in front of his niece. Through the ruby eyeball thatās been blessed to clearly see the truth, whatās happening was unlike anything that should be ā flames burning behind Vanna, ashes and scorch marks filling up the dining hall and the disembodied and molten deposits of the roof.
Gradually, the hot sensation returns to normal after he absorbs the phantom truth.
āOf course not, everything is normal,ā Dante replies nonchalantly like nothingās wrong as he always did in the past.