Chapter 411 The Eighth Round
"Boom, boom, boom..."
In the distance, a huge steam-driven clock tower made a dull sound. Angel counted silently until the 17th time, when the Steam Church's "hourly time chime" stopped.
It was five o'clock in the afternoon on Friday in Trier. According to the time difference between the two places, there was still about an hour until she arrived at the underground tomb from the cave on the mountaintop next to Bansy Harbor.
She had packed up all her belongings, including all the magical items, weapons, and ammunition she had brought with her, and changed back into the clothes she had worn when she came to Trier three days ago. She did not plan to take the temporary clothes she bought in Trier with her, but in order to avoid being tracked, she threw them into the trash.
After finally using the black flame to "clean up" the hotel suite, Angel used the "Faceless Man" feature, disguised himself to look like the female college student Laura, and left the hotel.
Taking a hired carriage, she went against the flow of people returning home from get off work and approached Purgatory Square in the center of the observatory area, while keeping an eye on whether anyone was following her.
Fortunately, she had done a good job of disguising herself in the past two days. She used the disguise methods of the "Ring of Madness" and the "Faceless Man" characteristics to wander around the observatory area safely, staying in different hotels, and had not been discovered by those pursuers again.
"I'll be back at Bansy Harbor in an hour. It's impossible for the Trier people to travel thousands of miles across the five seas to hunt me down, right?"
Thinking happily, she left the carriage and entered the ancient building supported by stone pillars in Purgatory Square. She went down the stone steps, passed through the passage illuminated by dim gas lamps, and came to the entrance of the catacombs.
"stop!"
"The Empire of Death is ahead!"
The Intis characters on the door lintel looked different to Angel than they had three days ago. Back then, she was completely lost, unsure of why she had come to Trier. Now, she was preparing to return, her heart filled with only a lingering longing for this foreign city.
Perhaps later, she would try to come here for vacation with Klein in a normal way, carefully appreciate the architectural style that was different from Loen, and enjoy the cuisine that was unrivaled among all the countries in the Northern Continent.
Pulling out a white candle from under her windbreaker, she borrowed the flame from someone else's candle and lit it. Then, following this group of college students who were obviously also here to "test their courage", she stepped through the stone archway of the "Empire of Death" and entered the dark and vast underground cemetery.
As everyone walked in different directions, the light of the other candles beside Angel gradually decreased, and soon only the dim candlelight in her hand was left, illuminating the area less than three meters wide around her. The area further away was shrouded in deathly darkness, as if there were countless shadow monsters waiting to devour the unlucky person whose candle was extinguished.
But in her dark vision, the distance was nothing more than ordinary corridors and tombs one after another. Until now, she was not clear about the specific method of the underground tombs devouring living people. She only knew that the method was similar to that of the Angel Lady of the Church of Evernight.
Thinking randomly in her mind, she quickly came to the second floor along the direction she remembered. It was more spacious here, with many tombs. From time to time, she would meet a few visitors who came in groups, and even a few lone travelers who might have "lost" their companions.
I wonder what kind of mentality Trier's official Beyonders have when they allow this underground tomb to devour visitors... Perhaps it is because a certain magical item is important but dangerous and can only be placed in the tomb, so they have no choice but to do so?
Angel's mind suddenly became alert. When she turned a right-angled bend, she looked sideways and saw a dim candlelight following her slowly.
A random fellow visitor? A university student trying to strike up a conversation? Or perhaps... a stalker from Trier's government?
Several possibilities flashed through her mind.
But even if it was a stalker, it would be unlikely for him to fight me in the catacombs. The rules here should also apply to Beyonders. Accidentally extinguishing a candle is equivalent to death... Although Angel was doubtful about her ability to survive here without using candles, she didn't think everyone could do so. Otherwise, the other party would not have needed to light a candle to expose their existence.
With this in mind, she quickened her pace and began to move towards the entrance to the third level of the underground tomb at a speed that was almost running. Sure enough, the figure behind her also quickened her pace to catch up, even at the cost of exposing her movements.
Angel passed the sign of "Old Ossuary Entrance", walked down the broad stone stairs, passed the stone pillars of "Holy Emblem of the Sun" and "Holy Emblem of the Triangle", and walked straight to the mysterious passage that he had arrived in Trier three days ago. However, there were still about fifteen minutes before the time predicted by Mr. Fool. The black line at the top of the passage stretched endlessly, and countless skeletons under his feet tried to trip passers-by, proving that this place was still an underground cemetery.
Angel did not stop here, but continued to move forward at the same speed, pretending that this place was no different from other places. The same was true for the mysterious tracker behind him. The candle in his hand flickered as he ran, like a firefly in the distance.
She had intended to circle around a few times, confuse the pursuer behind her, and then wait for an opportunity to return, but when passing an intersection, she suddenly felt that there seemed to be a white figure in the narrow passage ahead. She subconsciously thought it was another pursuer, and her limbs tensed up, ready to respond, but she immediately found that the other party was just standing there quietly, without any movement.
She was a young woman with black hair draped over her shoulders, eyes slightly closed, wearing a simple white robe, and bare feet that were spotless. Her face was more beautiful than any "witch" Angel had ever seen, and her holy temperament was a world apart from the tomb full of bones.
"Witch? Witch sect?"
Angel immediately thought of "Lady Despair" Panatia, who maintained a similar temperament even in the haze of death, but if the two stood together, "Despair" would probably be slightly inferior.
Most importantly, the woman in white robe did not light a candle!
Thinking back to how Pierre and his companions looked as if they had seen a ghost when they saw her three days ago, Angel suddenly understood their reaction, because she also felt like she had seen a ghost.
Looking back, the pursuer was still walking towards us slowly.
Just as Angel was thinking about whether to talk to this "witch" or change the direction to leave, the woman in white robe silently turned around and slowly left the intersection.
"She has no ill intentions? No, it seems like she's guiding me that way? It can't really be a ghost, right..."
Angel hesitated for a moment, gritted her teeth and walked forward. The other party did not show any malice, and the spirit did not give any warning. She wanted to go and take a look.
The white figure moved very quickly. Angel tried hard to speed up so as not to lose sight of it. After passing through several tombs and forked roads, she came to a wide square similar to the entrance to the third floor. The ground around was very clean, without any bones or moss. In a place that could not be illuminated by the candle in her hand, a huge black marble pillar that penetrated the floor and the ceiling stood there.
Unlike the stone pillars of "Eternal Sun" and "God of Steam and Machinery" at the entrance that have been weathered by the long years, this black stone pillar, although not engraved with any holy emblems or logos, has a smooth surface, complete edges and corners, and clean seams, as if it was built just yesterday.
"well……"
She seemed to hear a sigh beside her ear, long and sad.
"The reason you came here is this 'Night Pillar'?"
As she tilted her head to look for the source of the sigh, a somewhat hoarse voice came from behind her.
The mysterious man who had been following all the way finally showed up. He was holding a white candle and standing at the entrance of the square, carefully keeping a distance from Angel.
"Night Pillar?"
Angel slowly turned around and looked at the middle-aged man wearing a black tweed jacket, matching trousers, and a white vest.
"Chrismona Night Pillar, isn't that what your Witch Cult is here for?"
I always feel like I've been deeply misunderstood... Angel sighed and followed up on his words:
"What would happen if I said yes?"
"Whether it's true or not, you have to come with us today," the man said with a confident smile. "'Marian Night Pillar' and 'Leius Night Pillar' are also guarded by our people. You'd better not act rashly, otherwise..."
He moved his hand that was not holding the candle slightly, and the candlelight in Angel's hand suddenly flickered, and the dim light almost disappeared.
"...Entering the catacombs was the worst decision you've ever made. The substitution spell you witches use can't preserve the light of a burning candle. If you don't want to disappear in the catacombs and be forgotten by everyone, you'd better behave yourself."
It turns out that Trier's official Beyonder does know the special nature of the catacombs... It seems that he thought that I was walking into a trap by coming to the catacombs, so he showed up on his own initiative?
Angel chuckled secretly and took a step forward, instantly making the middle-aged man alert.
"If I don't behave, what are you going to do?"
She showed a charming smile on her face, reached out to the candlelight, and under the man's horrified gaze, extinguished the warm and safe light.
She committed suicide?
This idea immediately flashed through the man's mind. He held the candle tightly in one hand and threw out a few pieces of lighter paper with the other. Bright yellow flames quickly expanded under his control, scattered around, and illuminated most of the square.
But all he could see before his eyes was the huge Christiana Night Pillar, and the witch was no longer visible.
Sure enough, she has disappeared... No, I still have memories of her!
Just as he reacted, the spirit in his head issued a crazy warning, a bone blade was already across his neck, and a seductive voice came from behind him.
"Now, it's time for me to ask questions."
Angel showed a triumphant smile and slowly appeared from behind him.
"Entering the catacombs to track me was the worst decision you ever made," she replied, "If you don't want to be forgotten by all your colleagues, then answer me: which organization are you from?"
The man with the bone sword at his neck was silent for a moment. Just when Angel thought he would resist to the end, he finally spoke:
"…Bureau Eight, the Eighth Bureau under the Homeland Security Committee."
Angel frowned and thought for a moment before finding the corresponding meaning of this word.
This is an intelligence agency for Beyonders similar to the Loen military's "MI9".
"Why are you tracking me?"
She continued to ask.
"What kind of reason is needed for this? The Witch Cult has entered Trier, and you've had contact with them. Are you trying to replicate Backlund's smog in this city?"
The man's tone was cold, even a little angry.
It turned out to be that stupid witch Sylvia... Angel was about to continue asking when the man in front of her whose shoulder was pressed by the sword suddenly burst into bright yellow flames, and then the whole person exploded like a brilliant firework. In the distance, a piece of fire-starting paper that was about to go out on the ground suddenly burst into flames, and a figure emerged from it. It was the member of the "Eighth Bureau" who performed the "Flame Flash".
"Bang--"
Biting cold ice surged out from under Angel's feet, and the low temperature instantly swept across the entire square. All the remaining fire starter paper was immediately blown away, and the candle in the man's hand became dim and almost extinguished.
But he took his time, reaching under his coat and pulling out a handful of stick-like objects, then with a flick of his hand, he lit them all on fire.
It was a bundle of ten white candles!
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