Chapter 174: Mr. A

In the outskirts of the northern district, inside a three‑story teaching building of a medical academy that is about to be abandoned.

In the dilapidated corridor, a cold, dim light slants in, rendering the interior eerily silent and scarred, a chilling presence seeping in.

Lei Kedun, clad in a white coat, with a surgical cap and a large mask on his head, curiously examined every detail around him.

Viscount Ge Lailin Te quickened a few steps, stopped beside Lei Kedun, and lowered his voice:

"This place feels a bit gloomy. Could there be ghosts or something?"

Lei Kedun glanced at the pallid Viscount Ge Lailin Te beside him—so white his face seemed devoid of any other hue—and, even though he had become an Extraordinary, the young noble still feared such rumored entities.

He stated in a flat tone:

"This is a gathering place for Extraordinary beings; even if ghosts or evil spirits are present, they would only become trade material for us."

Viscount Ge Lailin Te's expression relaxed a bit, and he quickened his pace, not wanting to linger long in the gloomy corridor.

At the main gate of the gathering place, Lei Kedun glanced and strode to the doorway, but did not choose to push it open for Viscount Ge Lailin Te's Forsi, realizing the two of them were a bit timid.

Stepping forward over the two, Lei Kedun reached out and pushed the gate open.

A creak echoed through the silent building, and a sharp smell of preservative wafted out.

The first thing that caught the eye was a pool in the center of the room, filled with a transparent yellowish liquid, with one after another floating silhouettes—all of them corpses!

Some were relatively intact, others already fragmented, and many had their skins stripped, looking like brown‑ish jerky.

"Ah!"

Viscount Ge Lailin Te, standing behind, let out a wail; the noble had never before seen a scene filled with corpses.

Gazes from all around fell on Viscount Ge Lailin Te, further crushing the noble.

Lei Kedun turned, raised his hand, and patted his shoulder, simulating the purifying power of a Solar Domain, gently infusing it into Viscount Ge Lailin Te's body to soothe his overwhelming emotions.

A warmth spread from his shoulder to his whole body; Viscount Ge Lailin Te shook himself, then inhaled deeply, suppressing a nauseous urge, and waved his hand slightly, indicating he was fine.

A few of them quickly found a spot away from the corpse‑filled pool and sat down.

Another figure in a white coat stepped forward, using a wooden rod with a hook to pull a corpse aside and drag it onto the cement floor.

He then produced a scalpel, slit the corpse's abdomen, and a somewhat cold, hoarse voice emerged from within:

"The gathering begins!"

Lei Kedun stared quietly at the corpse, a barely perceptible violet glint flashing in his eyes.

As his field of view widened, Lei Kedun saw the flesh and blood inside the corpse.

Apparently his scrutinizing gaze was too obvious; the mass of flesh sprouted a pair of eyes that met his stare.

Until the gathering ended, everyone in the room left one by one.

Lei Kedun let Viscount Ge Lailin Te, Ao Daili, and others depart first, while he remained for a while.

Only after the remaining people gradually left did Lei Kedun rise from his seat, and at that moment the white‑coated figure who had hosted the gathering approached.

His voice, low and hoarse, said:

"Greetings! Please follow me; Mr. A is waiting for you!"

Lei Kedun gave a slight nod and followed behind him toward another direction.

Arriving before a dim basement, the white‑coated guide stepped aside, bowed, and said:

"Divine Envoy, Mr. A is waiting inside!"

Lei Kedun was surprised; he hadn't expected to hold the title of Divine Envoy within the Aurora Society.

He gave a expressionless slight nod, then pushed the door and entered the basement.

The basement was dim; candlelight on the altar emitted a faint glow, and a figure in a white robe knelt before the altar, seemingly praying.

After Lei Kedun entered, the other rose from the ground, turned, and bowed toward Lei Kedun:

"Your Excellency Divine Envoy, we finally meet."

"I am the head of the Aurora Society in the Beckland Diocese; you may call me Mr. A."

Lei Kedun examined Mr. A closely: he was handsome, his skin an unnaturally pale white, his expression devout yet tinged with madness.

Lei Kedun bowed and greeted him, then, curiously, said:

"Do you have business with me? How are the preparations for the Descension ceremony going?"

Hesitating, Lei Kedun simply omitted the title for the True Creator in his speech, as Aurora Society members address Him as 'Lord', which Lei Kedun could not utter.

Calling the True Creator directly would conflict with his current Divine Envoy status.

Mr. A, his expression both devout and mad, said:

"Our cooperation with the Luen Kingdom authorities and the Witch Sect is proceeding smoothly; soon, the Great Lord will descend upon this land!"

After speaking, Mr. A bent slightly, tore open his chest garment, thrust his hand into his abdomen, and extracted a rib stained with dark red blood.

The torn flesh on Mr. A's body then writhed and healed rapidly, restoring him in an instant.

The scene made Lei Kedun's brows twitch; although he knew that Extraordinary practitioners of the Inverted Path excel at blood‑flesh magic, witnessing it firsthand was still unsettling.

Mr. A handed the dark‑red‑stained rib to Lei Kedun and explained:

"This is an item the True Creator asked me to pass to you; it incorporates an Extraordinary trait of a Black Knight and counts as a special Level‑1 sealed item."

Seeing Lei Kedun's inquisitive gaze, Mr. A gave a more detailed explanation:

"Its uniqueness also stems from the True Creator's blessing upon it!"

"It can wield the Spiritual Flesh Blade, Fallen Shadow, and the Extraordinary ability to command shadows; it can also briefly transform the user into a Black Knight, granting high defense and survivability."

"Its drawback is that, as usage time accumulates, the user accrues layers of corruption, filth, and mutagenic domain contamination, and it requires a daily supply of flesh and blood to sustain it."

Lei Kedun gave a slight nod, reached out, and took the rib, examining it closely for a moment.

The dark‑red stains on the rib still exuded a sanguine scent, appearing both fresh and aged; the rib's core lacked marrow, containing only a solid‑like writhing shadow.

It was still daytime, and brandishing a rib outdoors seemed inappropriate, so Lei Kedun tucked the rib away into the pocket of his coat hidden beneath the white coat.

Realizing his messenger was unsuitable for contacting members of the Aurora Society, he looked at Mr. A and said:

"Remember to inform me of the plan's progress and changes; you should know how to find me, right?"

Mr. A's pallid face broke into a somewhat sickly smile as he said:

"I will, Divine Envoy."

"Soon, we will be able to gaze upon the Lord's radiance; the people of this city will all receive our Lord's salvation!"

Lei Kedun glanced at Mr. A, who was daydreaming about the future, said nothing, and after the other finished the flattering words, he took his leave.

Lei Kedun turned on his heel and stepped into the Spirit Realm.

After wandering the Spirit Realm for a while, Lei Kedun's figure appeared in the carriage that Ao Daili and the others were riding.

Xiu, the quickest to react, first tensed in caution, then relaxed after seeing who the newcomer was.

Lei Kedun glanced back through the carriage's wooden panel and said evenly:

"You are being followed."

"Followed? The people from the gathering earlier? What should we do?" Ao Daili immediately replied.

Lei Kedun leaned against the carriage panel, his voice lazy and flat, and said:

"Ignore it."

"Ignore it? Why?" Xiu asked, looking at Lei Kedun with puzzlement.

"Snap!" Lei Kedun snapped his fingers.

Fo Er Si and Ao Daili glanced around in confusion, having just sensed a faint spiritual fluctuation.

Seeing Fo Er Si and Miss Ao Daili's reactions, Lei Kedun spoke aloud:

"I created a little illusion for them; if they're not very clever, it'll probably take an hour or two before they can get out."

"And if they're smart enough?" Fo Er Si asked.

Xiu, sitting beside her, answered:

"Then they'll leave on their own, as if nothing happened today."

"Why—" Fo Er Si quickly understood, and the words she wanted to ask fell silent.

The carriage arrived at the Empress District, and the few of them took their leave in turn, each returning to their homes by the method they deemed safest.

(End of Chapter)