Chapter 214: Meow
A cold autumn wind was blowing throughout the whole of Norzin, creating a slight whistling in the hazy night.
Prima pulled her cloak that was whipping in the wind tighter. Her face was hidden under her hood and only the reflective sheen of her spectacles could be seen in the dark, making her seem all the more mysterious.
With the minituature moon dial in hand, she cautiously poured a drop of elixir onto the dial. A vispy mist instantly formed where the silvery medicine came into contact with the moon dial.
The dial glowed brilliantly, and the image of a needle appeared once again, pointing in the right direction.
Prima did a quick sweep of her surroundings cautiously, then proceeded to keep all the objects back into her cloak and quickly strode down the street.
Panting as she headed against the blowing wind, Prima’s heart pounded with excitement. “This is the first time Walpurgis had properly answered her anointed since the Second Era. She has surely risen again; the extermination of the Church of the Dome’s false G.o.d must’ve been her will!”
The Church of the Dome’s evil nature and innumerable hidden scandals being exposed before ultimately being overthrown were already widespread news.
Moreover, apostles of the Sun’s Faith had been disseminating the truth and Secret Rite Tower was fanning the flames. Even though Prima was largely ignorant to the ongoings around her due to her devotion in the research of arcane medicine, she too had become aware of the events that had occurred during this period.
The Church of the Dome had always suspended the beliefs of Walpurgis, the Witch who controlled the Night, and proclaiming the moon as the only G.o.d which had made anointed like Prima terribly uneasy.
However, the Church of the Dome had held exceptional power and repute while the strength of the anointed had been steadily weakening in contrast. This resulted in internal disputes amongst the anointed and they simply didn’t have any opportunity to fight back.
The subversion of the Church of the Dome had greatly affected the various factions of Norzin. Transcendent groups like the Sandra Clan especially were greatly impacted by the change.
The rise of the Sun’s Faith was akin to a divine intervention, and the sun replacing the moon was a significant omen.
This was practically Walpurgis announcing to her past followers that she had returned!
Yet, before the ever-devoted Sandra Clan could properly celebrate this, Margaret’s disappearance after an ambush had thrown the entire clan into disarray.
Incidentally, she was also the vocal Sandra Clan representative who pushed for the preservation of the covenant.
A ripple led to huge waves, which the Sandra Clan found themselves being swept along…
Some even suggested that the disappearance of a loyal devotee of Walpurgis, Margaret, had inevitably proven the reawakening of Walpurgis to be a hoax and they should abolish the old traditions and search for a new protector.
A problem that had always been hidden under the surface had suddenly emerged.
If Margaret really met an adverse fate, the whole Sandra Clan would be flipped on its head.
Prima stopped at a corner and took out the moon dial once again for a divine orientation. Looking at the image of the old bookstore, she mumbled to herself, “I’ve never heard of this bookstore before… but Walpurgis, who controls the night, would never lie to her anointed. Since the covenant lies deep within our souls, the authenticity of this place must be true. This must be where her dream realm has descended.”
Prima had many guesses about the bookstore. Though it seemed ordinary and rather dilapidated, it was precisely such an appearance which gave rise to a mysterious aura that would make people wonder.
Perhaps, many secrets lie within this bookstore, and the entrance to Walpurgis’ hidden realm might just be behind those doors.
Maybe, there were other powerful anointed waiting in the bookstore for her arrival…
Whatever… Prima didn’t actually have a clear idea either.
This bookstore was far too ordinary without any defining features on its exterior. This place was starkly different from the divination forecast Prima envisaged. Hence, she could only make up various reasons in order to strengthen her belief.
After all, it was unknown how much power Walpurgis still retained, even if she had finally risen again, after being sealed and in slumber for thousands of years.
Clenching her fists, Prima took a deep breath and whispered the mantra her sister had always used to cheer herself up. “The will of Walpurgis to return to reality from the dream realm cannot be denied. Her greatness cannot be eroded by time. These foolish clanmates have been blinded by the benefits they have received, yet they’ve all forgotten the promise we’ve made thousands of years ago. How dare they attempt to betray the Primordial and find another protector. These actions can only be described as short-sighted…
“Haa…” sighed Prima dejectedly as she put away the moon dial and elixir. “You were right, Sis, I should have learned to better interact with people instead of burying my head in experiments. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be in this situation with no one to ask for help.
“But… though you were great at socializing, how many people from the clan actually care for your safety and are scrambling to help you now?”
Prima might have been obsessed with research, but in truth, she had a clearer view of everyone else.
As she was continuing in her search for the bookstore, a voice sounded from above her.
“Prima, right? I believe that you no longer need to seek help from others… because we’ll be reuniting you with your elder sister shortly.”
Prima looked up at once and noticed a voluptuous figure standing on top of an electrical power line.
It was a tall, dark elf dressed in skin tight armor. Her dark skin was as delicate as a pearl, and her silvery hair had been fashioned into a high ponytail. Though she wore a mockful look, her eyes were full of murderous intent.
She spun a silver dagger in her hand, drawing arcs in the air with the cold gleaming blade.
A Dark Elf Stalker.
And she was of Pandemonium-rank!
“You… Who are you?! Were you the one who attacked my sister?! What have you done to her?!” sputtered Prima as she backtracked anxiously.
She hurriedly took out several elixir vials from within her cape, then realized to her horror that the elixir of invisibility she had poured onto her cape had already lost its effect!
Prima turned as white as a sheet.
She was only a researcher of arcane medicine and naturally didn’t know how to fight. Facing a Pandemonium-rank transcendent on her own was basically a death sentence.
The dark elf flashed a contemptuous smile. “There’s no need for you to know anything. All a dead person needs to do is lie down quietly.”
With a flash, she disappeared from her original position.
Search hosted.novel for the original.
Prima instinctively shut her eyes as she let out a piercing scream. She immediately proceeded to shatter all of her elixir bottles, causing the elixirs to vaporize and mix as it rapidly diffused into the air.
“d.a.m.n it!”
The dark elf once again reappeared at the edge of the medicinal fog, retreating quickly with a sullen look on her face.
Once the fog touched the nearby walls and ground, they either rapidly corroded the terrain or froze it over as the chemical pa.s.sed over, some even combusting spontaneously with an astonishing wide radius and causing the ground to collapse.
The intel never mentioned that the obscure younger sister of Margaret had potions of this level!
But… This was likely to be her very last resort.
The dark elf did a somersault and leapt to a high vantage point to see Prima scrambling away before continuing her chase.
As Prima ran, she made clumsy attempts to prevent her gla.s.ses from slipping off her face. Right now, she was on the verge of tears.
Chugging down a buffing elixir, she continued running in the direction shown by the moon dial.
Bookstore, bookstore… where the h.e.l.l is the bookstore?
Fatigue from running started to set in. Suddenly, Prima felt a slight, brief chill behind her; a blade had nearly nicked her nape, causing gooseb.u.mps to rise all over her body. In the distance, an old building finally appeared in her muddled field of view.
A bookstore without signage, books on display behind a hazy window, and that bell on the door.
This was the place shown on the moon dial!
A glimmer of hope flashed before Prima’s eyes as she increased her pace.
“Caught you, little mouse!” The voice of the dark elf accompanied by the sound of a blade slicing through air.
Schwing!
“Oof!” Even though Prima tried her hardest to dodge, she was eventually still struck on the shoulder by the dagger. Excruciating pain coursed through her body, causing her to break out in a cold sweat and momentarily lose control of her limbs.
Crash!
At the same time, the momentum made Prima roll forward twice, crashing the bookstore open and leaving a dent on it.
The dark elf then approached her, though the swaying of her enchanting figure seemed rather blurry in the eyes of Prima.
Her gla.s.ses had already been knocked off and she could only struggle toward the inside of the bookstore at this moment.
Thud!
The dark elf stomped her foot on Prima’s palm, grinding the sharp heel of her shoe in. Though this made Prima want to cry out, she still gritted her teeth and made no sound.
“You were looking for this place? Who here can possibly help you? Or do you actually believe the Walpurgis you believe in will rise out of nowhere to help you?” taunted the dark elf.
Meow~
A sudden meowing of a cat resounded through the bookstore.
The dark elf turned her head to see a white cat perched on the bookstore’s counter, just silently staring at her ominously.