Chapter 46

Chapter 46: The Again Malfunctioning Radiant Bishop (Third Update)

As soon as Xia’er finished speaking, the white robe of Xiu behind her fluttered without any wind, and a large amount of yellowish-white light mist emerged from her sleeves, hem, and neckline, forming several illusory figures around her.

These figures scattered and rushed away, flipping through corpses on the square.

Soon, Xiu’s gaze shifted in a certain direction, and her voice echoed in Xia’er’s mind.

“There’s a stone sewer inspection hatch, Miss Xia’er.”

“Go…”

“No, Miss Xia’er, you stay here.”

The figure of Xiu behind Xia’er flickered incessantly, gradually turning into a phantom, while the illusory figure ahead that had found the inspection hatch was solidifying continuously.

A few yellowish-white phantoms protected Xia’er, while Xiu opened the sewer inspection hatch and leaped down directly.

Just after landing, Xiu looked toward the end of the inspection hatch leading to the church. She followed the right side of the stone path, walking deeper into the dark sewer ahead.

Halfway through, she suddenly stopped and crouched down, gently sweeping the ground with her gloved left hand.

Just now, a slight danger hum resonated in her mind, indicating that the area she passed through was contaminated with bacteria.

Rising again, she continued deeper into the sewer. Soon, Xiu saw a disc hanging in mid-air.

The disc was circular overall, with ink-green edges, etched with patterns resembling an ink-green ouroboros.

In the center of the ring was an eye embedded, with a rope passing through its pupil and emerging from the other side, suspending this single eye in the sewer.

Seemingly sensing someone’s approach, the single eye turned and gazed in Xiu’s direction, watching her quietly.

“Sealed Object…”

Xiu slowly raised her hand, and an illusory figure walked out from behind her, following the direction she pointed.

The black pupil hanging there seemed to sense danger, quickly rolling its eyes, and its body continuously expanded and contracted like a pulsating heart.

The spiritual alert in Xiu’s mind faintly transformed into a hum, and she could feel a large number of pathogens converging around her, causing her mouth to feel slightly dry.

Suddenly stepping back a few steps, she controlled the illusory figure back into her body. At this moment, she noticed a desiccated corpse lying not far from the pupil.

The corpse was barely recognizable, almost reduced to a skeleton covered with skin, seeming so fragile that touching it could cause it to shatter.

The corpse wore a black robe, with the only identifiable feature being the dried silver hair and the fallen silver crowbill mask beside it.

Xiu took a deep breath, her figure gradually becoming more ethereal. In the next second, she appeared behind Xia’er.

“Miss Xia’er, I’ve found it, it’s a Sealed Object,” Xiu’s voice echoed in Xia’er’s mind. Quickly, Xiu briefly recounted everything she had seen to Xia’er.

The dead person was Adelle.

Xia’er could guess who the desiccated corpse lying in the sewer was.

After hearing the trigger mechanism of the eyeball, Xia’er sighed slowly.

Was Adelle the first to investigate that area…

Or was it the unknowing Adelle who prematurely triggered the defense mechanism of the eyeball?

Thus, the massive infection would have erupted prematurely…

“What exactly is the function of that eyeball? Can we determine who placed it by any traces?” Xia’er asked Xiu.

“This is a Sealed Object, and we must seal off this area before allowing anyone else to enter,” Xiu replied.

“Amplifying the effect of the epidemic?”

Xiu shook her head and continued, “The only thing we know is that it can catalyze pathogens, amplifying the effects of the original epidemic several times over.”

Amplifying the effect of the epidemic? That means the epidemic might have been spreading at an earlier time point, but with milder symptoms, making it harder to detect. Only when the person who activated the Sealed Object stimulates it again would it cause this instant fatality effect?

Xia’er shared this speculation with Xiu, who nodded in agreement.

“Then how do we find that Extraordinary Person?” Xia’er asked.

“Ta has already succeeded in the promotion,” Xiu said calmly. “The ritual to become the ‘Cholera Origin’ requires killing at least ten thousand people within a month using a self-made infectious virus. Ta has met the criteria and won’t be staying here.”

Hearing this, Xia’er fell silent.

The requirement was for ten thousand deaths, but once these viruses spread, the number of casualties could far exceed that.

“Miss Xia’er, we’ve found out what we needed. We can return to the Papacy now,” Xiu reminded her upon noticing her silence.

“There may not be ten thousand people on the square… What if that person hasn’t completed the ritual yet?” Xia’er persisted.

Long gone… If that’s the case, wouldn’t the clues be dead ends? Would she need to simulate the scenario again, warn them about the Sealed Object beforehand, and then observe how events unfold?

Don’t forget there’s a traitor… Until the leak is identified, every reminder from Xia’er would only speed up the other party’s plan.

“If Ta couldn’t complete the ritual, it wouldn’t just be these corpses here; there would also be a third-tier Monster Madman added,” Xiu explained after a brief pause. “The replication of the ritual comes in two forms: one is drinking the potion during the completion of the ritual, and the other is drinking the potion first and then initiating the ritual.”

“For example, the replication of the ‘Avenger’ ritual can be done anytime after meeting the conditions.”

“But for the potion of the ‘Poisoner’ pathway, you must drink it first and then complete the ritual within a set timeframe.”

“They usually prepare extensively over a long period, drink the potion when everything is ready, and wait to see how things develop, completing the ritual before the deadline.”

“To become the ‘Cholera Origin,’ one must kill ten thousand people within a month using a self-made virus.”

After hearing the explanation, Xia’er frowned slightly.

If what Xiu said was true…

In the previous simulation, the epidemic outbreak occurred on July 4th. If the potion was consumed a month earlier, then the opponent would have started setting up at least by June 4th and possibly drank the potion as early as June 4th.

The Sealed Object could have been hanging there all along, quietly waiting to be triggered.

“Bishop Xiu,” Xia’er spoke, looking at her. “If we stopped Ta’s ritual in front of Ta, would Ta lose control?”

“High probability,” Xiu replied. “Once Ta thinks the ritual might fail, the potion will backlash on Ta.”

“But… the ritual has already happened. How can you stop it?”

“Kill all the infected individuals before Ta does. Would that still count as Ta completing the ritual?” Xia’er calmly asked.

Xiu looked at the bodies on the ground, her head tilting slowly.