Gu Li stood still, finally sensing a bit of trouble. The door to the room not far away was half-open, and the sound was getting more and more piercing, urging him to go over.

Was this thing deliberately used to lure her in?

She glanced around discreetly, then tried to recall the sensation of activating the corrupted power within her, attempting to give her sword a damage-boosting buff.

No matter how she tried to recall the appearance of those low-level creatures, nothing happened except for feeling dizzy. Gu Li frowned and looked at the door.

Do we really have to see it with our own eyes?

Gu Li clicked his tongue softly. Why is it so hard to trigger the power that comes from being corrupted by the so-called king? Does it have to be corrupted and pressed against his face?

Just as Gu Li was cautiously hesitating whether to retreat first, the half-open door silently opened completely. The dark room was completely black, and even in front of the lit longsword, it was still a deep color.

She suddenly sensed something was wrong. The screams inside the room had all stopped, leaving only the dark, open room. This familiar scene reminded her of the church that day.

What do the screams that disappeared after entering the church have in common with the house in front of me...?

In a dark room at midday, a girl standing in an old corridor closed her eyes, flicked her wrist to hang a long sword at her waist, and in the darkness, Gu Li's lips curled slightly.

She opened her lips and called out, "Cecil."

The darkness behind them suddenly surged, and something long and thin was rustling closer from above. Gu Li waited quietly for a while before speaking: "If there's anything you want me to help with, you'd better talk to me in person."

The dust mites and faint fishy smell she detected were incredibly real. As Gu Li recalled her route, she became even more certain of her guess.

Not getting the response he wanted, Gu Li closed his eyes and decisively walked in one direction, drew the long sword from his waist and slashed straight ahead without hesitation. The long sword, carrying starlight, drew an arc of light in the air.

"etc!"

Gu Li's sword tip had already sunk into a pool of sticky mud, but she didn't stop. The veins on the back of her thin hand bulged as she slashed downwards. She seemed to hear a weak sigh, filled with pain and relief.

She turned her head to the side, her wrist immediately stopped, and several ropes appeared on her forearm, fixing her hand in place. Cecil's voice finally came again.

She said, with a hint of exasperation, "Why are you in such a hurry? Let me think about it first!"

The girl with light golden hair twitched her pale lips, revealing a canine tooth that gleamed with a cold light. Her smile was cute, but her words were not so merciful: "You asked me to come here because you have something for me to do?"

"Let me make this clear first, I don't like being forced to do anything."

The noise behind her subsided a bit, and Gu Li, who had her eyes closed, suddenly felt as if a layer had been lifted around her. The thin membrane that had separated her from the outside world and the stale smell in her nose disappeared. She slowly opened her eyes.

It was still pitch black before her eyes. She stared intently at the ground in front of her, where the sword tip was pointing. There must be something there.

Cecil's voice came from behind: "Hey, I originally just wanted to show you something you could accept first to try it out. Since you put it that way, I'll just tell you the truth."

"The one whose throat you almost slit was named Angel. He has already completed his final stage with me. His body couldn't withstand the pollution, so he returned to the King's embrace. But through Shi Qing, I have an idea."

"If we injected enough starlight into the bodies of those who clung to their humanity until death and died from physical collapse, would they have a better ending?"

Cecil's proud and cheerful voice turned somber. Years ago, she had proposed to bring in a Child of Light and give her the best resources and treatment... but the king rejected the proposal.

Her gaze burned as she looked at the rare, weak-gene human standing in the center of the room, who had awakened to become a Child of Light. Even though he was contaminated by the King, he did not mutate when he saw them.

What an extraordinary physique, what an indomitable spirit.

She is absolutely a treasure sent to them by heaven!

Cecil suppressed the nervousness in his eyes; he couldn't help it, ever since his body changed, his thoughts sometimes became bizarre.

Gu Li pursed her lips. She thought of the calm and composed Eric and Levi, and couldn't help but wonder if they would also have this day.

“I can help.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the white light emanating from the sword passed through the point where it met the muddy mass and poured into the creature's body, saving the person first.

Gu Li channeled all the remaining power within his body into the figure before calmly turning to look at the dark figure behind him: "Well? Now we can talk about terms."

Cecil sensed Angel's condition, and the countless slender black shadows clinging to the ceiling stirred. She cleared her throat: "My request is that you come here once a day and lend them a hand."

She tensed up, expecting this perceptive girl to take the opportunity to make some difficult demands. Unexpectedly, Gu Li simply raised an eyebrow, clapped her hands, and said excitedly, "That makes things easier. I came to see you because I have something to discuss!"

Gu Li opened his mouth and stated his request.

Cecil waited a moment, then realized something and looked over with wide eyes: "That's all?"

Hanging her longsword back at her waist, Gu Li rolled her eyes at her: "Since I was saved by your king, can't I break your bones?"

Cecil flailed her body wildly, trying to calm herself down: "I understand helping you improve your strength, but what do you want the car and horn for?"

Gu Li stood confidently with her hands on her hips, touched her lips with her finger, and her sky-blue eyes made Cecil shudder: "This is my plan. I promise I won't do anything to harm this place. Just give it to me."

She recalled He Wei's words from yesterday and felt that her idea was extremely clever.

This is the best way to enhance the power of the Child of Light!

Cecil cautiously suppressed her desire to explore further, feeling that it was best for her not to know what Gu Li was thinking.

"Well, anyway, our agreement is settled. You can't go back on your word. Come over every afternoon after you finish your work at the dock."

A soft, squishy thing was extended in front of Gu Li. She reached out and shook it, and the two of them reached an agreement with satisfaction.

Cecil promised that her things would be delivered tomorrow morning.

She left with some regret, but before leaving, she looked back at the room that could be plunged into darkness: "Can't you really let me see your true form? I promise I won't tell anyone."

"I have to go now, goodbye."

The door slammed shut right in front of her nose.

·

In a dimly lit corridor, Eric listened intently to something, a slightly helpless expression on his face. Leaning on his cane, he gradually walked into the darkness at the end of the corridor, while an elegant, deep voice drifted from afar.

"Let her do whatever she wants, just remember to protect her safety."

"yes."

The plaster-colored figure on the windowsill bowed its head and answered.