871 The Critical Part

Deep within the primitive island, amid the pervasive white mist, Perle's twisted face saw the gates of the Black Emperor mausoleum swing open.

A giant figure clad in black armor and a magnificent cloak emerged with majesty, with a torrent of white mist flowing between Perle and the figure.

Roselle Gustav... Perle's face instinctively tensed, causing the mist that formed her body to collapse inward slightly.

Roselle didn't spare a glance at the Vortex Weaver. He floated step by step into the air, reaching the edge of an abstract and ethereal strange world, like a rising mountain.

During this process, the sky dimmed, and the remaining clouds twisted as if something had begun to come alive.

Roselle gazed into the distance, raised his arms, and in a grand voice, he proclaimed, "People of Intis, your emperor has returned!"

Suddenly, the clouds above were pushed together by an invisible force, swirling downwards to form another terrifying vortex.

The center of this vortex was Roselle Gustav.

Meanwhile, across Intis, those who still followed the order Roselle had established heard the voice of the returning emperor. Most were bewildered, questioning their ears after the recent burst of intense light, while a few turned pale, unable to believe their suspicions.

To the eastern reaches of the sky, a beam of light flared up, trembling wildly as if striving to cross the vast distance and reach Roselle's embrace, causing various distortions. Behind this beam, three more beams appeared, as if pushed by an invisible force, forced to advance prematurely.

In different parts of the world, some people found themselves back home despite having just left, others saw their bright cathedrals turn dark and silent, and some were habitually drinking milk but didn't notice they were using their nostrils, suffering no harm.

Long-abandoned compulsory education schools strangely lit up, as if filled with students quietly attending classes.

Using his Worms of Time to search for a flaw in Inevitability's watch, Pallez found an exploitable point, but the Worms of Time he sent out disobeyed His commands.

Madam Magician, who was wandering again with Ma'am Hermit and Miss Justice, found herself away from the target location, instead of the sea, and in front of her appeared Madam Judgment and the little boy Will Auceptin holding her hand.

The light dots within the white mist remained largely unaffected, only dimming slightly. Perle, the Vortex Weaver, was first startled, then showed a joyous expression.

She hadn't expected Roselle to step forward, forcibly reviving himself before the ceremony's end to reclaim the Black Emperor's divine throne. Such an outcome was beyond her wildest dreams, and she hadn't even considered having Hloise, the Fate's Attendant, weave it, but this was undoubtedly a good thing for her and the great entity she worshiped, the Uncertain Mist.

The rewards this time will be immense! Perle had just formed this thought when the Uncertain Mist she was linked to through the ritual conveyed an emotion, tightening their connection and thickening the swirling mist.

Perle sharply turned her gaze towards the villa in Trier, towards the twisted blood shadow emerging from the sacred glow and white mist.

In a drifting voice, she spoke, "The payment for the indulgence faction of the Rose School of Thought is the Shadow of the Beauty Goddess, a Sealed Artifact derived from the Sequence 1 Beyonder characteristic of the Moon pathway. The one willing to offer a price for it is Madam Hart of the Nightstalkers."

As Perle's Words of Order echoed, another light dot rapidly expanded.

This light dot revealed a secret chamber, where a vague female statue stood in the center, the walls covered with childlike figures with bird-clawed limbs, and the floor piled with expressionless humans.

At that moment, a figure stood before the statue, her belly swollen, face full and beautiful, with emerald eyes sparkling like gems, and brown hair neatly tied up, wearing a simple and loose white robe-a pregnant woman.

The lady who nurtured a deity!

The twisted blood shadow from the villa in Trier, using the white mist, pierced through the corresponding light dot and appeared beside Perle, then moved towards the light dot where Madam Hart was.

It walked slowly, influenced and twisted by Roselle's resurrection.

"Madam, you may begin." Perle couldn't change the situation of the Shadow of the Beauty Goddess and could only ask Madam Hart of the Nightstalkers to provide the price in advance.

Hart nodded gently, turned to face the statue in the chamber, and chanted incantations in a low, indistinct voice.

As the incantation neared its end, the childlike figures on the walls became illusory, transforming into beams of light that entered the statue's belly. The dazed humans on the floor exploded one by one, returning as flesh and blood to the great mother.

The female statue gradually took on a crimson glow, transforming into a humanoid crimson moon.

Madam Hart then turned and made a cradling motion towards Emperor Roselle in the air.

She called out in ancient Jotun, "Come back, child of the mother!"

Blood-red moonlight seeped from Roselle's body, leaving him and heading towards the light dot where the female deity statue stood.

These were the pollutants that forced Roselle to seek godhood and death but failed to free himself from.

Now, they were all drawn out, no longer affecting Roselle, no longer attempting to corrupt him.

Roselle's century-old problem was thus effortlessly solved, but his current state required the corruption of the Uncertain Mist to balance the corruption of the Great Mother. Removing either would break the balance!

In the blink of an eye, Roselle was filled with white mist, twisting the speed of passing and the distance between two points, gradually eroding the emperor to completely corrupt him.

Inside the Black Emperor mausoleum, Bernadette saw this and, no longer calm like outside the mausoleum, anxiously shouted, "Adam, where is your promise?"

Roselle remained unaffected by his state change, as if it was within his expectations. He continued to spread his arms, awaiting the return of the Black Emperor's Uniqueness and three Sequence 1 Beyonder characteristics.

These were traits unique to the Black Emperor's true deity. Once revived, regardless of who held the Uniqueness and the three Sequence 1 Beyonder characteristics, they would forcibly return, merging with him without the need for extra rituals or potions!

Crimson moonlight rose from various parts of the primitive island, coalescing with the pollutants drawn from Roselle into a miniature crimson moon-like object.

Perle's ethereal voice rang out in time, "Madam Hart requested the Great Mother to reclaim the corruption from Roselle Gustav. This corruption will be exchanged for the Shadow of the Beauty Goddess and given to the indulgence faction of the Rose School of Thought..."

Madam Hart caught the miniature crimson moon trying to return to the mother's embrace and pushed it out of her light dot.

The miniature crimson moon entered the white mist created by Perle, slowly flying towards another light dot.

This wasn't the light dot the Shadow of the Beauty Goddess emerged from but one guarded by a peculiar giant tree with a vague figure hanging above it.

The Vortex Weaver, Perle, suppressed her excitement and once again scrutinized the scene of Topsy of the School of Deliciousness destroying the seal in the sea.

In the next second, wisps of thin gray fog seeped from the seabed, cooperating with the hydra-like Topsy.

...

Trier, botanical garden.

Hearing the emperor's return across space, Franca's lake-blue eyes widened in astonishment and confusion, with a hint of uncontrollable joy.

At the same time, her spiritual intuition told her that the order here had been distorted, including the Circle Inhabitant effect.

And wherever there was a distortion, it meant they could escape without triggering the Circle Inhabitant effect!

Where is the distortion? Franca had just this thought when she saw Jenna take out a mirror and quickly perform a Magic Mirror Divination.

Jenna had a similar intuition.

Meanwhile, the two Higdons, ignoring the unusual surroundings, madly attacked Lumian, who wielded the Sword of Courage, unable to focus on the two Demonesses.

Likewise, before Voisin Sanson stood only Ludwig, still short-legged and short-statured, unable to reach him to interfere.

The Circle Inhabitant made a quick decision, pressing his temple, letting the gathered strange light pierce through his head.

In excruciating pain unbearable even for an Ascetic, he was instantly near death.

The Circle Inhabitant effect triggered once more.

Lumian and Anthony's thoughts blurred, and they found themselves back in the intact cabin, before taking out the Sword of Courage and Black Tear forehead accessory.

Franca and Jenna couldn't complete their Magic Mirror Divination in time.

Lumian instinctively took out the Black Tear forehead accessory, intending to throw it to Franca, but upon grasping it, he sensed the mirror world, particularly the special one, feeling the summons of 0-01 from Morora.

Is it possible to sense this way? Not before...

The earlier anomaly distorted the order here and the Circle Inhabitant effect, causing this change? Meaning they could escape through the mirror world without triggering the Circle Inhabitant? Lumian instantly judged.

He acted before Voisin Sanson could commit suicide again and bring the inevitable end, shouting to Franca and the others, "Grab hold of me!"

Time was tight; he couldn't explain and hoped his teammates would trust him.

Despite their doubts, Franca and the others, including Ludwig, grabbed Lumian's body again.

In the next second, Lumian used the Black Tear forehead accessory and the cabin's window to enter the void-dark mirror world, randomly choosing a tunnel to traverse.

As expected, they didn't trigger the Circle Inhabitant effect this time.

As joy surged in Lugano's heart, everything blurred in a topsy-turvy manner, and they found themselves in an almost completely dark world, facing Harrison from Resurrection Island.

Around Harrison were four lit candles and four servings of staple food, including two loaves of bread, Feynapotter noodles and rice, all moldy.

Harrison looked at Lumian with a slight smile. "The Celestial Worthy's Oracle states you carry the key part of this matter. Capturing you will eliminate any surprises."

As Harrison spoke, Voisin Sanson and Higdon appeared in the darkness beside him.

Voisin Sanson also looked at Lumian, smiling. "Didn't you know I escaped from Fourth Epoch Trier through the special mirror world?"