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*****
The following day, Megose, whose belly was now heavily distended with pregnancy, found herself seized by a sudden and inexplicable urge. For reasons she could not fathom, her feet carried her toward Zouteland Street, specifically toward the offices of the Blackthorn Security Company.
Deep down, she felt she needed to inquire about Lanvus. Perhaps these people, who claimed to provide security and investigations, had finally uncovered a lead regarding his whereabouts.
Upon her arrival, it was Klein Moretti and Leonard Mitchell who received her.
The moment Megose stepped into the room, Klein's spiritual intuition—honed by the harrowing string of cases that had plagued Tingen recently—screamed a warning. A chilling realization washed over him: the existence gestating within Megose's womb was something unfathomably horrific. He sensed the invisible threads of a conspiracy; it was as if a hidden hand had been orchestrating every tragedy from behind the veil, leading to this very moment.
Acting on instinct, Klein signaled Leonard to keep Megose occupied and calm. He then bolted to the office of Captain Dunn Smith to report the dire situation.
Dunn's expression darkened instantly. He immediately ordered Klein to evacuate all non-combatant personnel from the building. Meanwhile, Dunn himself rushed to the telegram machine, sending an urgent coded message to the Holy Cathedral's headquarters to request immediate reinforcements from the high-ranking Beyonders.
His first thought was to utilize the Saint's Ashes—the core sealing power behind Chanis Gate. However, he quickly discarded the notion. He feared that the holy power of the Saint's remains might inadvertently provoke the entity inside Megose, causing the situation to spiral into a worst-case scenario prematurely.
Furthermore, they weren't just facing the horror within Megose; they had to remain vigilant against the mastermind lurking in the shadows.
Dunn found himself at a crossroads with only two viable paths:
First, they could attempt to stall for time. The child in Megose's womb had not yet reached its full term for birth. If they could delay the inevitable long enough, the experts from the Holy Cathedral would arrive to handle the crisis.
Second, they could lure Megose into the depths of Chanis Gate for a desperate, final stand. Within the gate, they could utilize the full potency of the Saint's Ashes and draw upon the powers of various Sealed Artifacts. Moreover, the seals of Chanis Gate would serve as a barrier against any external conspirators, buying the Nighthawks precious time to recover after the battle.
After a moment of agonizing hesitation, Dunn chose the first option. He knew that even if the second plan succeeded, at least half of the Tingen Nighthawks would likely lose their lives in the process.
At that moment, Klein, having finished the evacuation of the civilian staff, did not hesitate. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a peculiar artifact—a pacifier. He placed it in his mouth, instantly igniting his spirituality to activate its hidden power.
Intricate, glowing patterns spiraled across the surface of the pacifier. A burst of brilliant flame erupted before him, swirling and condensing until it took the shape of a man. It was George.
Using the unique summoning properties of the artifact, Klein had called George all the way from Backlund. Klein knew that whatever was inside Megose was either an Evil God, the spawn of an Evil God, or at the very least, a Mythical Creature. If it descended fully, Tingen City would be wiped off the map. His colleagues and his family were all here; he couldn't afford to gamble. He had to bring in his powerful "compatriot" for help.
"What's the situation?" George asked, looking around the office with a hint of confusion. He had initially assumed Klein was under direct attack, yet there were no visible enemies, and they were standing right in the heart of the Nighthawks' headquarters.
"George, we have a massive problem. An Evil God might be about to descend," Klein explained, speaking as rapidly as possible to summarize the chain of events.
George was momentarily stunned by the revelation. He hadn't expected the crisis to revolve around his "cousin," Megose.
"I'm aware of her condition," George said, his voice steadying Klein's nerves. "Don't worry, I have a way to resolve this. For now, follow your Captain's orders. I'll hide in the shadows and see exactly who is pulling the strings."
George had already successfully converted the Sealing Magic he needed. He had planned to return to Tingen eventually to deal with Megose's issue, but he hadn't realized the situation was so deeply intertwined with a larger conspiracy.
On second thought, it made sense. How could a mere greedy swindler like Lanvus stir up such a world-ending catastrophe on his own? If Evil Gods could descend into this world so easily, humanity would have been extinct long ago. He realized he had overlooked the complexity of the situation before.
Now, George decided not to strike immediately. He wanted to wait for the mastermind to reveal themselves. Additionally, this was a perfect opportunity to further the digestion of his Faceless potion.
The digestion of the Faceless potion required "acting"—playing a role and ensuring that many people recognized the existence of that persona. The more famous the persona became, the better the effect. Stopping the descent of an Evil God and saving Tingen City was a stage grand enough for any actor.
"Understood!" Klein breathed a sigh of relief. Knowing that George had a solution gave him the fortitude to return and regroup with Captain Dunn.
George, meanwhile, utilized his Faceless abilities combined with a newly converted transformation skill. In the blink of an eye, he shifted from the form of an infant into a composed young man. He then activated his invisibility, completely masking his presence as he dissolved into the shadows.
"Eye of Inquiry!" George whispered.
An ethereal, illusory eye quietly manifested in the air above the Blackthorn Security Company, granting George a bird's-eye view of the spiritual world.
"So, it's this fellow," George noted. Through the Eye of Inquiry, he quickly spotted an Extraordinary hiding in the darkness, much like himself. "Based on the intensity of his spirituality, he's roughly at Sequence 5—similar to Crestet Cesmire before his promotion. However... that quill in his hand is quite interesting."
Intrigued, George moved silently behind the man. He watched as a quill moved rapidly across the pages of an ordinary-looking notebook, the ink forming words that dictated reality.
"Megose, driven by a mysterious summons, arrived at Zouteland Street and entered the Blackthorn Security Company. The infant in her womb is at a critical stage of development, which is why it failed to suppress her impulsive actions."
"Dunn Smith, thanks to the Acting Method, has significantly mitigated his mental pollution. He has made the correct tactical decision to stall for time, waiting for reinforcements from the Holy Cathedral."
"Klein Moretti sensed the encroaching danger. Using the strange mystical item he previously used to heavily wound Madame Sharon, he has summoned an unknown helper."
"Ince Zangwill perceived the danger, but his hunger for promotion outweighed his fear. He did not retreat."
Ince Zangwill's hand tightened as he continued to write:
"Due to an unknown and inexplicable reason, a meteor suddenly deviated from its orbit and plummeted toward this planet."
"Its point of impact happened to be the Blackthorn Security Company. Yes, quite by coincidence!"
A single meteor obviously couldn't destroy Chanis Gate, which was fortified by the core of a Saint's remains. But Ince's target wasn't the gate—it was Megose.
Megose was the vessel for the descent of the True Creator's spawn. She could not be allowed to die. Faced with a life-threatening impact, the spawn of the True Creator would be forced to hatch prematurely to defend its vessel.
If the True Creator's child were allowed to absorb all the necessary power and undergo a natural birth, its strength would instantly reach the level of a Sequence 2 Angel. With an angelic body as a medium, the True Creator could truly descend into the world.
Ince Zangwill did not want to see that happen. He was bold enough to scheme against the True Creator, and he knew the deity would never forgive him if it arrived in full power.
However, if the child was born prematurely now, its strength would not exceed Sequence 4. To regain its power and reach the level of a Sequence 2, the spawn would inevitably slaughter the entirety of Tingen City to feast on its spirituality.
Dunn Smith, in his desperation to stop the spawn, would be forced to use the Saint's Ashes in a suicidal final struggle.
No matter who emerged victorious—the Nighthawks or the spawn—Ince Zangwill would be there to reap the rewards once the dust settled. If they wiped each other out, it would be even better.
(End of Chapter)