/
Chapter 112: The Time of Parting
The closer they got to their destination, the faster the colorful scenery around them faded. The space was dissolving in a strange way, and the edge were like the ends of moldy rotten rags. The sound also began to blur, as if it was separated by a thick wall. They could no longer discern the contents of the broken scene and could only concentrate on moving forward.
It felt odd. The first foot was still on the soft, thick grass while the second foot was on hard stone bricks. When they approached the source of the nightmare, the surroundings had become extremely quiet; so quiet that only the breathing and footsteps of two people were left in the entire space.
Therefore, the sound of crystal fragmentation was particularly loud.
The robe of the Abyssal Church was simple in style. Nemo had put the crystal piece given to him by Virgil in his only pocket. Even if Oliver was standing by his side, Ann was outside waiting for them. Cognitive interference had no effect on Nemo. He carefully calculated the time since they had entered. It was not sunrise yet. In order to prevent exposure, it was reasonable that Ann wouldn’t take the initiative to contact him.
The crystal chip was not a communication crystal. Once contact begins, no one could decide whether they want to receive it or not.
Nemo hurriedly took it out and quickly isolate it with magic, so it wouldn’t be crushed into dust by the monitoring magic here.
“I know this isn’t appropriate. Sorry.” Accompanied by the clattering sound of the crystal fragmentation, the voice of the female warrior came from the crystal chip. The speed of her speech was so fast that they could barely here the content. “The armies of other surface religions will intervene. Be careful not to meddle too much. If the momentum doesn’t seem right, retreat immediately. They want to pick up a leak. Not only this church, but all around here will be sealed…”
Before she could finish speaking, the crystal broke into pieces.
There only a one crystal chip left in Nemo’s possession, and three more were with Virgil, which couldn’t be borrow for the time being. The two held their breaths and stared at the only piece left.
But Ann didn’t communicate again.
“She should be considering retaining it as a last resort,” Oliver said. “Don’t worry.”
“I know.” Nemo let go of the hand holding Oliver. “We have to get things done as soon as possible and get out of here.” The last thing Nemo wanted to encounter in this world was the armies of other religions.
“Another way… What are you going to do?” Oliver clenched the sword in his hand. “Is there anything I can help you with?”
“Yes,” Nemo quickly thought about the details of the plan. “We’ll have to separate later. You have to take him away from here and meet up with Ann. Stay as far away from the Church of Silence as possible. I’ll go… uh,” he paused for a few seconds, trying to find a relatively mild way to putting things, “I’m going to go deal with Colestoro’s body.”
“Ok.” Oliver nodded decisively. “I only have one question. Will you be in danger?”
Nemo wanted to give him a smile back, but accidentally mixed some bitterness in it. Obviously, he wouldn’t be in any danger. He was probably the biggest “danger” in the world itself. “No,” he answered the question softly, “I promise.”
“It seems I have to guard them alone… I can finally get rid of this thing.” As if perceiving the bitterness in Nemo’s smile, Oliver patted his helmet twice. His voice sounded cheerful and relaxed, with the same optimism as before. “It’s a good thing.”
After a few minutes, they finally saw the source of the nightmare.
Colestoro was lying in an open sarcophagus, that seemed to be placed in the middle of a huge magic array. There were many chains wrapped in runes under the dim light around the sleeping demon. They came from all sides of this space and the ends were hidden in darkness, firmly fixing him in the sarcophagus.
Virgil was half kneeling next to the sarcophagus. The burden originally carried on his back was thrown aside at will and the two huge bone hands behind him were exposed. The brushes were scattered all over the place showing that his preparation was completed. Countless black magic arrays hovered above the sarcophagus that had not fallen yet. He stared intently at the person in the sarcophagus, unaware of the proximity of the two behind.
Duran Virgil had a hunch that he would succeed this time.
But he didn’t know if he should be happy about it. Since he woke up alone in the forest more than 600 hundred years ago, he has been working hard for this day, but when this day finally came, he began to hesitate. It was clear that even his sleep would not make the pain disappear, and what he wanted to realize was not his own imagination, but the other party’s true wish. This was the most reasonable option. As time passed year by year, Virgil believed that he was ready.
But he wasn’t.
The black magic array floated in the air, like a crow circling carrion. Virgil reached out his right hand, caressed the other’s long white hair, put it to his lips and kissed it.
“This is the last time I’m coming to see you, Colesi,” he said in a low voice, as if he was afraid of waking the person up. “It would be great if the world after death really exists. That way, you can wait for me… Just wait for me for a while. In fact, I’ve been…”
“Forget it,” his voice became lower. “You know what? Now I draw much better than you.”
Virgil suddenly felt exhausted like never before. His long journey was coming to an end. Just like after a festival, people began to dismantle the temporary stage, the music completely dissipated, and the exquisite set turned into rags and wood chips. This was the ending that has long been destined.
The erosion runes he created will quickly destroy the person in the sarcophagus. After the demon’s body is destroyed, it would take a while for the consciousness to return to the body. Before Colestoro’s consciousness returns to its body, he can ensure that this “church” will also disappear under the action of his erosion spell.
Virgil had studied for hundreds of years so he knew how intense this spell would be. It would invade along the cracks of the Abyss, like a virus, killing the part on the other side of the Abyss, and during that period of time— that short period of time when the consciousness was helpless, there would be no more pain.
The deadly array was getting lower. The lonely exorcist leaned down and kissed the demon’s forehead. “Good night.”
But the erosion array did not fall.
As the creator, Virgil could feel that it was instantly destroyed by an external force. Virgil suddenly raised his head. The eccentric demon worshipper was standing a few steps away and the Knight of Silence he controlled was following him… No, that wasn’t a Knight of Silence. The leader of Tumbleweed, Oliver Ramon, who looked gentle and harmless, was standing with him.
Virgil didn’t perceive their aura at all. He didn’t even have time to hide the distortion behind him.
Nemo’s hand that wasn’t holding the staff maintained a spell-casting gesture.
Virgil quickly took two steps back, subconsciously adding a protective array to the demon in the sarcophagus and then sent out hostility unreservedly. The two bone hands behind him danced like normal hands, and circles of black attack spells were ready to go.
“What do you want?” Since the other party could reach here by their own strength, Virgil didn’t plan to talk nonsense.
“Price increase,” Oliver said readily, raising his eyebrows at Nemo.
“That’s right.” Nemo was a little infected by Oliver’s smile. When his words were said, the feeling of worry was no longer strong. “For additional services, it will be an extra gold coin.”
Virgil sneered without showing any signs of relaxation. Nemo wasn’t surprise. He took two steps forward and squeeze the chain that bound Colestoro.
“That’s Aurorae’s seal,” Virgil’s said in a hoarse voice. “You’d better take your hands away. I don’t know who you are, but it will definitely—”
Nemo clenched his five fingers tightly, and not only did the chain not bite back, but it broke in response.
It wasn’t just the one he held that shattered. The chains in the entire space all turned into light that broke at the same time. The broken light went out like fireworks after just a few seconds, leaving not a single trace behind in the dim space. It seemed that what Nemo crushed was like a soft snow sculpture piled up with snowflakes. The fragmentation was perfectly isolated in this space, without leaking even a trace of energy fluctuations.
The frowning brows of Colestoro in the sarcophagus began to twitch slightly, and there were some signs of awakening.
“You…” Virgil forgot the danger at this moment and rushed back to the sarcophagus.
There was no one besides him who knew more about demons. Now it seemed that his previous inability to detect his opponent’s aura was not because the “demon worshipper” was too weak, but because he was ridiculously strong. Not to mention the Abyssal Church, which hasn’t successfully lifted the seal for hundreds of years, other superior demons with whom he had befriended could not match Nemo Light’s strength. It was obvious that he was stronger than the one who had set up this seal— this meant that his strength was above the rumored ancient demon Aurorae.
To be able to do this, except for another superior demon at the peak of their strength, there was no other possibility.
If Nemo Light was at this level, then his lover…
Virgil felt chills for a moment.
“I will explain to you slowly on the way.” As if perceiving the other party’s thoughts, Oliver walked directly to the sarcophagus. “We have limited time, and you’re a trustworthy person, aren’t you? Take Mr. Colestoro with you and I’ll escort the way.”
Virgil did not move.
Their client didn’t seem to be as rigid as before. They didn’t know if it was because of their attitude or because he have noticed the gap in strength and decided that resistance was useless, but it didn’t matter. Nemo tugged the corners of his mouth weakly. “I know that the unfinished contract will bind Mr. Colestoro to your body. Don’t worry, I’ll solve this problem. Ollie, please do the rest. I’ll be back when I finish.”
“Remember to inform Dylan and Mr. Cross.”
“Of course.”
“There’s still a piece of crystal on your side. I’ll contact you after I meet with Ann.” As if insisting on reassuring Nemo, Oliver still had a smile on his face. “Seriously, Mr. Virgil. I can knock you out and drag you two away. Let’s save the trouble, okay?”
Virgil didn’t seem to react until he successfully carried Colestoro out of the sarcophagus. The demon’s head hung weakly, and the nightmares around him began to dissipate like smoke and dust. Virgil stood still for a few seconds, trying to the digest the reality. In the end, a little fire ignited in his eyes.
“We can leave,” he said hoarsely. His voice was trembling.
“You can lead the way.” Oliver shrugged. “We have taken your task and we must be responsible for it to the end.”
“The monitoring of the aura of the Abyss has disappeared.” Nemo stretched out his hand. “Give me back the pendant, Ollie.”
“I still want to keep it for a while,” Oliver said a little dissatisfied. “There’s the engraving that is also quite romantic.”
“Stop joking around. In case you meet people from other surface religions later…”
“I know.” Oliver made a reluctant look and threw the gold pendant at Nemo who caught it steadily. “Wait and see. I’ll never take back what I give you—”
“Oh, the engraving is gone. I can feel it.” He gave Nemo a big smile. “See you later.”
Nemo had always liked Oliver’s smiling eyes. Even in the most desperate moments, the hope inside had never completely dissipated. Oliver Ramon’s smile always carried a kind of happiness unique to ordinary people; a pure carefree feeling. It always made Nemo feel that his feet were still firmly on the ground and that he wasn’t a lone beast on an ice sheet. Part of him was firmly nailed to that distant town on the border by this smile, and he could always feel the simple and ordinary warmth in his memory.
But this was the last time he saw Oliver smile like this.
Nemo still thought of this moment many years later. At this moment they firmly believe that this was just a very short parting. For some reason, they all had an inexplicable self-confidence, believing that they would soon be reunited with each other, just like every separation in their previous adventure.
Unfortunately, no matter how powerful he was, he couldn’t turn back time.
If he could, he would never let go of Oliver’s hand at this time. Even if he had to bring everyone with him, no matter how complicated the plan would be as a result, he wouldn’t let go— he shouldn’t have let go.
But right now, he didn’t know about such things.
Nemo didn’t intend to make any unnecessary concealment of strength. He determined the coordinates he had marked, and directly cut open the space, revealing a magnificent prison on the other side of the space.
“See you later.” Nemo turned his head and tried to smile back.
He didn’t like to destroy things. Nemo preferred repairing than destruction. When he was in Roadside Town before, even if the small cooking pot was burnt or leaked, he did his best to fix it, and now he had exactly the opposite thought. Destroy this church. Destroy this order…
Finally, destroy the incomplete contract.
He stood still in the so-called watertight cell and picked up a piece of biscuit. Nemo could perceive that Hagen Ingram was approaching there. At her speed, the Bishop of the Abyss would arrive here in more than ten minutes. No matter what her plans was, they would try to negotiate or confuse him, then sacrifice him…
Nemo took a bite of the biscuit in silence.
He must be a sacrifice.
The author has something to say：
Mr. Virgil, after brewing emotions for a long time, he is about to achieve a tragic BE*…
*Bad ending.
Then it was forcibly interrupted by an additional service for one gold coin√