Chapter 152
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Chapter 152: Prelude
The sky gradually turned overcast.
Rain slid down the black umbrella as an old man, named “The Left Hand of Dark Light” by the gods, stood calmly in a dark, deserted alley.
“Have you found any clues about her here?”
Pastor stood beside him and nodded gently.
“Yes.”
Recent events had progressed far beyond their expectations.
Sioro, the old man in the black suit holding a decades-old black umbrella, stood lost in thought.
Why had the Demon Hunt Agency and the Blood Clan resolved their conflict in just one day? There was no reason for it to end so quickly.
Though the evidence wasn’t definitive, there were sufficient clues to prolong the mistrust. Both parties should have taken longer to reconcile. At least a week of chaos should have ensued. Yet, in mere hours, all misunderstandings were cleared, and the Piety Chain was found.
As a result, Sioro himself was exposed—labeled the “abandoned child” of the church.
Could it be that another force, perhaps Babel Tower, had intervened?
“Mr. Sioro, what are you thinking about?”
Pastor’s voice pulled him from his contemplation.
“Pastor, I recall that you were Scatino’s teacher. She must trust you deeply. Can’t you find a way to bring her back to the church?”
Pastor shook his head, his voice resolute.
“No, she’ll only agree to meet us here.”
The place was The Land of Flames, a nearly inescapable domain with only one entrance and exit.
Sioro deliberated for a moment.
“It doesn’t matter. As long as I see her, she won’t escape.”
He exhaled deeply and added,
“The plan to occupy Tatsumi City must be abandoned for now. This city’s depths are far greater than we anticipated. Let’s retrieve Scatino immediately.”
For days, Sioro had been spreading the Piety Chain, igniting devout flames among the people. But the Night Watchers had consistently extinguished those flames, step by step.
If the Demon Hunt Agency had been in chaos for just a week, half the city’s citizens would have become “flames,” and the entire city would have turned into a “pious sea of fire.”
But now, it was clear: there was no time to linger.
The most prudent decision was to secure the target—Scatino, the Vessel of God—and leave.
“Mr. Sioro,” Pastor asked cautiously, “does she…still have a chance?”
“Chance? Scatino?” Sioro shook his head solemnly.
“Scatino is the Vessel of God. You know this, Pastor. We must never defy God’s will.”
Pastor fell silent.
Months ago, the Sacred King—their great Savior of Dark Light—had issued an urgent command.
Twenty names.
The Savior of Dark Light provided the church’s high-ranking officials with twenty names: ten male and ten female, along with their birthdates.
These twenty individuals were scattered across the Noah world, their identities and statuses varied. But all were deemed the Vessels of God.
God’s command was simple yet absolute: bring these individuals to the church for sealing—or kill them—at any cost.
Under no circumstances were these vessels to fall into enemy hands.
The church’s absolute power had resulted in swift action. Within months, twelve vessels had been captured and sealed. Three who couldn’t be secured were executed.
Only five names remained.
One of them was Mary Scatino.
The church’s sealing process was a fate worse than death. Consciousness remained, but they wandered endlessly in darkness.
Pastor took a deep breath and nodded.
“I understand. I will capture Scatino.”
Sioro, sensing something off, fixed his gaze on Pastor.
“Are you hesitating? Pastor, do not disappoint your teacher.”
Pastor’s teacher was none other than the Incarnation of Dark Light—the great leader of the church, ruler of the Eruo League, and perhaps the most powerful human in the world.
“Of course not,” Pastor muttered, lowering his head.
The two walked deeper into the alley, rain fading into the distance.
Inside the Demon Hunt Agency
Adelaide’s phone rang abruptly.
She hesitated, glanced at the number, and picked up.
“Bai Yan! Where are you?”
A faint, fragile voice responded. It was Bai Yan, but he sounded on the brink of death.
“Save me… The Land of Flames… I’m hiding here… Be careful, they’re here too…”
The call ended abruptly, leaving only static.
Adelaide froze. Then she turned to her team, her voice steady but urgent.
“I know where Bai Yan is. I’m going to inform the director immediately.”
The Land of Flames
The Land of Flames was one of Tatsumi City’s secret “Otherworlds.” A crimson sky, dotted with floating fireballs, shrouded the area.
Extraordinary beings frequented this place, trading goods, gathering intelligence, and forging connections.
Bai Yan sat calmly at a coffee shop, his aristocratic demeanor and black robe blending seamlessly with the surroundings.
When Sioro and Pastor approached, Bai Yan smiled faintly.
Sioro’s instincts flared. Something wasn’t right.
“Pastor, this isn’t Scatino. What’s going on?”
Before Pastor could respond, Bai Yan stood and addressed them:
“Welcome, Left Hand of Dark Light. I am… Profligate.”
Sioro’s grip on his umbrella tightened as Bai Yan continued with a knowing smile:
“Abandon any thoughts of escape. The Night Watchers are waiting outside.”
