"Three."
"Two."
She... was helping High Priest Remaining Eye count down those five seconds.
This was undoubtedly a provocation, even contempt. Such an attitude couldn't help but stir a trace of irritability and restlessness within Remaining Eye.
Even though he wanted to avoid a severe conflict, the other party seemed to think differently. Did he really have to team up with that detestable old freak from the Stellar Abyss Society to kill an apostle of the deity he served?
"One."
As Fran's countdown reached the final number, Melvis's figure appeared in the treasure chamber.
Although he was already old, his grayish-white hair and beard were trimmed quite neatly and appropriately, and his scholar's robe was equally tidy. He appeared robust and vigorous, as if in his prime.
"Vile plunderer, I will make you pay for the crime you committed at the Sands of Slumber Bell Tower."
The moment he saw Fran, Melvis issued a provocative declaration.
His gloomy mood had been suppressed for a long time. Before this full moon arrived, he had worried countless times... what if the one who stole the Heyl Siren descendant didn't walk into the trap but instead chose to vanish completely from then on?
Everything about that pureblood noble belonged to the Stellar Abyss Society. It was their most precious trophy from the lost era's "War of Withering," not to be tainted.
Sidonia represented their greatest reliance for deciphering the bloodlines of ancient mythical creatures, and this research was about to enter its final stage... For such a disruption to occur at this time, how could it not be infuriating?
"Hmm~ As expected of the descendants of pirates and exiles, always upholding the logic of 'what's grabbed is mine.'"
In response to Melvis's provocation, Fran merely made a bland remark with her gaze.
Beside them, Remaining Eye's expression gradually turned somewhat cold.
Undoubtedly, that phrase "vile plunderer" Melvis just uttered also included him. If possible, he had no desire whatsoever to be on the same front as the Stellar Abyss Society pedant.
Fran glanced back slightly, inconspicuously looking towards Haida, who was attuning to the Oak-Shadow Nest's spiritual essence. Then she continued speaking.
"According to your logic, since she is now in my possession, she is naturally my property. You can certainly try to safeguard your 'legal property'... if you can manage it."
Melvis clearly could no longer restrain himself. He immediately extended a hand, using a relic to activate a secret art.
"Then let me try. I also want to know whether your 'Apostle' identity holds true..."
It could be seen that the coral-bone ring he wore on his index finger was slowly emitting a crimson spiritual glow.
As the second-category, mid-tier secret art, [Spirit-Sucking Anemone], was activated, the entire collection room was flooded with viscous seawater up to the ankles. Countless dark red sea-born tentacles writhed with their suckers and arms, gradually appearing.
Once manifested, they began unrestrainedly absorbing the spiritual essence dispersed in the surroundings, using it to multiply and propagate.
"A secret art full of perverse taste..."
Fran glanced with some disgust at the tentacles clinging to the soles of her shoes, intending to deploy [Drive Away Dust and Filth] to repel them. But soon she narrowed her eyes, detecting something unusual.
The tentacles of [Spirit-Sucking Anemone] were gradually sinking into the reflection of the floor, like the wreckage of a ship slowly sinking into the abyssal sea.
The shadows of the Oak-Shadow Nest were eroding Melvis's secret art, and he hadn't even noticed.
Fran looked up at High Priest Remaining Eye, but he also seemed puzzled by the scene before him.
It wasn't him doing it. That meant... it was an influence caused by Haida.
In the gap of a fleeting thought, Melvis, following his combat habits, launched a subsequent secret art.
The tentacles capable of absorbing dispersed spiritual essence from the external environment were the foundation for everything. What followed was converting these collected essences into something capable of deciding the outcome.
He rapidly and skillfully chanted the prayer. The first-category, mid-tier secret art [Abyssal Well Skeletal Palace], composed of coral bone and full moon phase, gradually took shape.
The sea-born tentacles writhing on the ground were stripped of all spirituality in an extremely short time, turning into pale, hard fossilized bone. The entire treasure nest chamber was instantly covered in jagged bone rock, enveloped within the skeletal palace.
Melvis had summoned the projection, or rather the "trace," of that fallen deity.
"Oh... the legacy of the Abyssal Well. So this is the source of your confidence."
Observing the forbidden secret art that had taken shape around them, Fran roughly understood why the Stellar Abyss Society President dared to move against an entity of Apostle tier.
[Abyssal Well Skeletal Palace] manifested part of the characteristics of that deity's corpse, capable of absorbing and reshaping anything containing spiritual essence. Being within this coral-bone constructed palace at this moment... was equivalent to being swallowed into Its belly.
Crushing, eroding, reshaping, all in an instant.
"Though it's also first-category, it feels considerably inferior to Grantham's secret art."
After making a brief comment, Fran took out a previous piece of consultation fee, the "Disintegration Generator," from her physician coat pocket and aimed it impassively at Melvis.
Since the damage was irreversible, this small-sized launcher was effectively a consumable. But it could barely cope with the current situation.
As the Disintegration Generator finished charging, an incandescent "Light of the Return Pivot" shot forth from it!
But just as it was about to hit Melvis, a shadow as solid as substance stood between them.
By the time this shadow construct was completely annihilated by the radiance and incandescence, High Priest Remaining Eye had already brought Melvis to the other side.
"Astonishing power. What was that light? An ancient relic?"
Melvis could sense that if he had been hit by that incandescent light earlier, the consequences would likely have been quite unpleasant.
It might not have been fatal, but if his secret art was interrupted... trying to cast again might not be so easy. Without the influence of a first-category ritual, for a mortal body to attempt to profane an Apostle was utter folly, leading to nothing but being trampled.
Though saved by Remaining Eye now, he still couldn't help but feel a deep palpitation.
Along with that light seemed to come a vague, elusive figure. Was it an illusion?
"Not an illusion, you know?"
As if sensing what was in Melvis's mind, a faint smile appeared in Fran's amber eyes.
She lightly raised a fingertip, displaying a ring made from ground red coral bone.
It was precisely the accessory Melvis had used earlier to release the [Spirit-Sucking Anemone] secret art.
"You!"
Having a relic he possessed taken right before his eyes was a great humiliation, and the key point was he hadn't even been aware of it.
This Society President couldn't help but let out a heavy sigh, vainly trying to conceal the completely unrestrainable fury.
Remaining Eye also felt slightly confused. He too had been distracted by that dazzling, scorching light and hadn't noticed when she took that ring.
After several deep breaths, moments later, Melvis seemed to have stabilized his emotions.
"Vivian, your little tricks are quite impressive. But thinking you can win with just this is utterly childish... In the lost era, we killed an apostle. He did not die to a ritual, a weapon, or a forbidden act."
"He died only to 'arrogance' towards mortals, and our 'baseness.'"
His aged gaze was turbid and sinister, carrying a deep, chilling intent that inspired fear.
"Hmm~ You mean stalling for time?"
"I think that's a tactic for children, hardly worthy of being called base. It can only be considered a somewhat unsavory trick."
Fran raised her hand. It could be seen that part of her palm had already been stained with pale bone-like patterns.
From the moment [Abyssal Well Skeletal Palace] was formed, her body and spirit had been suffering erosion and suppression constantly.
This tendency showed an accelerating spread. What were initially faint bone-white marks on her skin had spread to her entire hand within a few breaths. Given a little more time, she would likely be completely reshaped into an inorganic statue.
However, similar to Melvis waiting for his secret art to take effect, Fran was also waiting.
She was waiting for Haida to completely awaken the spirituality of the Ancient Banyan fruit, [Shadow of the Future].
Haida at this moment was concealed within the mist behind Fran, drawing upon the Oak-Shadow Nest's spiritual essence. The ancient banyan spiritual essence she held was insufficient to manifest a complete future self like in the library ruins; she could only reproduce part of its characteristics on herself.
After a period of preparation, she finally completed this process.
At some point, black stitches appeared on this sister's fair, slender neck. Her ash-brown eyes shimmered with an indescribable, profound darkness.
Simultaneously, a clearly much smaller "Decapitation Throne" also materialized in her hands.
Sensing the aura coming from behind, Fran knew Haida had completed the manifestation of the Shadow of the Future.
She slightly pursed her lips into a smile, her expression carrying a hint of a scheme succeeding.
"Although stalling for time is indeed a children's game, one must admit... it is quite fun to play."
Melvis didn't understand, only darkening his face as he accelerated the casting process, occasionally driving sharp, prismatic coral bone spikes towards Fran. But this was of little significance; they would be deftly grabbed by [Crown-Thief] and tossed aside.
As for High Priest Remaining Eye, he personally felt some sort of mutation. His originally calm expression suddenly became horrified.
The Oak-Shadow Nest was slipping from his control.
It was as if a higher authority had overridden and shielded everything under his control. But that was impossible. Even an apostle of the same origin could absolutely not overwhelm him in such a short time.
If the person before him was the "Embryo"... No, that was even more impossible.
If that were the case, It wouldn't need to leave a calling card at all! Just by appropriately revealing Its identity, the entire Six-Eyed Crow cult would take up arms as Its vanguard. Moreover, he and Melvis would absolutely not be alive now.
Boom!
The coral-bone constructed palace gradually collapsed under the rejection and devouring of the Oak-Shadow Nest. After all, this was just a secret art; its potency and persistence were considerably inferior to a ritual. Its advantage lay in convenient casting and relatively high stability.
"Remaining Eye, what are you doing? Are you helping her?"
Seeing his secret art being interfered with, Melvis's eye twitched slightly, looking at Remaining Eye with full suspicion.
But Remaining Eye was equally confused. He had even disregarded the so-called camaraderie, shaping two claw-shaped curved blades from shadows and lunged at Fran.
The curved blades struck down but immediately sank into the shadows without stirring a single ripple.
The sanctuary of his own cult... was protecting her.
Surrounded by the deep darkness of the entire Oak-Shadow Nest, Fran gave a slight bow, performing a standard and precise courtesy.
"I have accepted the gifts from both of you. Then, I shall no longer disturb you and take my leave."
"And, Mr. Remaining Eye... rest assured, I will not take the Oak-Shadow Nest. Just as the Six-Eyed deity does not share its most precious treasure, I too will not seize the foundation upon which you depend for survival."
As she spoke, she and Haida had already sunk into the reflection interstice.
The entire secret realm had originally been sealed by Remaining Eye, preventing entry or exit. But now Haida had usurped its control, allowing the exit door to reopen.
Hearing her words, Remaining Eye felt his soul trembling uncontrollably.
Perhaps unwilling, perhaps bewildered.
But in the end, he just rubbed his temples and sank into a long silence.
This "Vivian" lady had not reached the Embryo-tier, yet could completely override his control over the Oak-Shadow Nest. That left only one possibility. The Black Raven's favor towards her... far exceeded that towards him.
"She actually got away right in front of us? Remaining Eye, were you really in cahoots? From start to finish, you did nothing!"
Having failed to detain the other party even after using a forbidden first-category secret art, Melvis felt fury beyond measure. He couldn't help but direct a reproachful question at Remaining Eye beside him, who had practically been muddling through the entire time.
Remaining Eye, immersed in his own thoughts, didn't care about Melvis's near-loss of composure.
Faced with the reproachful question, he only responded tiredly after a long period of contemplation.
"Hereafter, the Six-Eyed Crow cult will no longer be involved in this matter. The treasure she stole... we will not pursue it."
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