Chapter 122

Chapter 122: Ancient An Su Language? I Can Do It Too.

Xia’er sat on the sofa in Tara’s house, weighing the blood-stained “Evil Eye” in her hand.

The Evil Eye felt slightly warm to the touch, overall like holding a smooth and glossy gemstone.

In Xia’er’s grasp, the bloodied “Evil Eye” stared unblinkingly at Xia’er, but the purple blood veins inside its crystal were gradually fading away.

It was likely absorbing Obold’s blood.

Soon, in Xia’er’s hands, the purple veins had completely disappeared, along with the pupil, revealing the original form of the gem-sealed object beneath.

I wonder what its side effects are…

Xia’er, holding the “Evil Eye” between her index finger and middle finger, spoke up: “Tara, come here.”

Tara, who had been standing behind Xia’er waiting for orders, quickly approached upon hearing Xia’er’s command. She knelt halfway beside the sofa and asked, “Lord Xia’er, is there anything you need?”

“Catch.”

Xia’er raised her hand and tossed the eyeball toward Tara, speaking emotionlessly, “Drop your blood on it.”

“Yes!”

Tara fumbled to catch the “Evil Eye,” maintaining her half-kneeling position as she swiftly pulled out a ritual knife from her boot and deftly slashed her left wrist. Blood flowed down her wrist, activating the “Evil Eye.”

“Ask something personal about yourself.”

Xia’er nodded slightly and said,

“About me…”

Tara carefully thought for a moment before looking at the blood-soaked “Evil Eye” in her hand and asking:

“Am I the most devout believer of the Mother Goddess Sadaña?”

The blood slid over the “Evil Eye” and directly dripped onto the carpet.

Tara’s face changed, filled with disbelief, feeling as if the sky was about to fall.

“Dangerous question,” Xia’er reminded.

Hearing Xia’er’s words, Tara calmed down slightly, looked back at the “Evil Eye,” and asked, “‘Evil Eye,’ am I in any danger now? What’s the source?”

At that moment, a large amount of blood surged into the “Evil Eye,” red blood penetrating the blue gemstone, forming purple veins. These veins converged into a deep-purple pupil at the center, which rapidly rotated, locking its target onto Xia’er.

Tara, seeing the direction the “Evil Eye” was looking, stiffened slightly, awkwardly saying, “Lord Xia’er, this sealed object seems to be broken…”

“Hm.”

Xia’er didn’t say much, only calmly gazed into the “Evil Eye” after taking it back from Tara.

Moments later, the pupil, which had been firmly staring at Xia’er, began trembling and soon collapsed, the blood veins inside disappearing entirely, restoring the “Evil Eye” to its round gemstone form.

“Indeed, it’s broken.”

Xia’er threw the “Evil Eye” back to Tara and continued, “Help me keep it safe.”

Xia’er wasn’t sure if holding the sealed object counted as interacting with the extraordinary, but it was better to handle it minimally.

Lucy was at Derton Manor outside the city, where the defenses were several times more stringent than at Obold’s place, and many extraordinary people were present. It wouldn’t be easy to deal with her.

Moreover, the abilities of the “Fated One” were unpredictable, and Xia’er still didn’t know the limits of the “Fated One.” If Lucy rolled two heads with the “Strong Fortune Coin,” it was possible that all of Tara’s confidants wouldn’t return.

However, such a situation didn’t occur.

Less than thirty minutes later, one of Lucy’s severed hands was brought back, along with the “Strong Fortune Coin” still clutched in her hand.

When Tara brought the severed hand to Xia’er, she simply shook her head and said, “Put it away properly, remember not to touch that coin.”

Xia’er didn’t know the effect of the “Evil Eye,” but the “Strong Fortune Coin” had already tricked her once; she would never pick it up again.

The Strong Fortune Coin carried too much gambling risk. Unless directly exchanged through the system, Xia’er would never use it under normal circumstances. After all, even if she didn’t use it, it automatically rolls twice every day, and the day it rolls two tails consecutively could mean death without any clear reason.

Admittedly, Lucy’s luck was truly remarkable — surviving so long while holding the “Strong Fortune Coin” proved how tough she was.

However, this time, during the cultist ambush, she couldn’t defend herself — because it was unpredictable.

Xia’er’s arrival would disrupt Lucy’s original predictions unless she happened to divine again after Xia’er landed in the simulation. Otherwise, Lucy wouldn’t foresee her impending disaster.

Thus, with Lucy and Obold dead, the feather-sealed object would focus all its attention on Xia’er.

Xia’er stood up, casually picked up the sharp ritual knife placed on the table by Tara, and summoned Tara with a gesture.

“Lord Xia’er…”

Tara, seeing Xia’er holding the knife, hesitated slightly in her voice but still approached.

Xia’er directly cut a wound in her left wrist with the knife, letting the blood drip onto the ground. Then, she turned the knife around, handing the handle to Tara and said, “Have your confidants sever their fingers, two per person.”

This was another layer of insurance for Xia’er.

She couldn’t afford to lose too much blood and thus couldn’t spiritually summon too many sacrificed fingers.

Two extraordinary fingers from each of Tara’s confidants should be enough for Xia’er’s sacrifice needs.

Tara watched as the blood Xia’er had spilled transformed into thread-like shapes, slowly wriggling and arranging themselves on the ground. Her breath hitched momentarily before she broke into a delighted smile and responded, “Alright, I’ll take care of it immediately.”

Not using her own fingers was Xia’er considering the possibility of preserving the “Assassin” save point.

After all, Tara’s confidants sacrificed their lives in the previous simulation, so now asking them for just two fingers each was rather merciful on Xia’er’s part.

The main reason she didn’t directly sacrifice them was that creating a blood array large enough to sacrifice so many cultists would be enormous and impossible to conceal.

She feared scaring off the feather pen, which might understand the implications of Xia’er’s blood array, given its connection to ancient days.

Within ten minutes, Tara had gathered all the fingers.

She placed them all in a cloth bag. The originally brown bottom of the bag had turned deep red due to the seeping blood.

“Hmm, it will be somewhat dangerous next. Stay as far away from me as possible.”

Xia’er handed the bag to Tara and said in her direction.

“Danger? Lord Xia’er…”

Tara was about to say something when Xia’er interrupted her.

“This is an order.”

“Yes… Lord Xia’er.”

Tara wanted to fight alongside Xia’er against the risks, but compelled by Xia’er’s order, she temporarily dismissed her confidants, keeping them at a distance while monitoring potential dangers around them.

As for herself, after leaving the “Evil Eye” behind, she joined the outer patrol to help Xia’er guard against possible threats from afar.

The arrival of the Extraordinary Person.

For Xia’er, combating the Sealed Object in the form of a feather, the more Extraordinary Persons present, the more variables might arise.

She needed to restore everything as closely as possible to the conditions during the last Simulation, minimizing unnecessary variables.

After making all the preparations, Xia’er sat back on the couch, closing her eyes.

Semi-transparent, soft scales began emerging from her skin, gently vibrating to assist Xia’er in perceiving subtle changes in her surroundings.

After Obold’s death last time, it took her a long while to complete the stitching and Replication Ritual before the Sealed Object in the form of a feather descended.

This time, Xia’er had finished digesting the necessary components early. She wondered if the Sealed Object would descend earlier than expected.

Xia’er caressed the pocket watch in the palm of her left hand, carefully sensing every change around her.

In an instant, from its appearance to piercing directly into her skull, the Sealed Object moved too quickly for any reaction.

This made it difficult for Xia’er to accurately grasp the timing to press the pocket watch.

Xia’er opened her eyes and looked toward the window.

It was already evening, the window pitch black. Unless prematurely contaminated by the Other Realm, Xia’er could not observe the shadow of the raven in advance, just like that night.

All Xia’er could do now was wait.

She did not leave the house; the blood array was set up in the living room. If placed in an open space, the Sealed Object might have hesitated to approach.

Though the room obstructed her view, it also blocked the Sealed Object’s detection.

Xia’er was extremely patient, like a lurking assassin waiting for prey.

Suddenly!

Crash—!

Hum—!

With the sound of shattering glass, a Spiritual Alert erupted in Xia’er’s mind, just like during the last Simulation.

Crack—

Xia’er almost instantly crushed the poison and awakening agent, pressing the button on the pocket watch she’d been holding—

But her left hand was immobilized.

Looking down, she saw the black feather embedded in her thumb pressing the pocket watch, piercing straight through it and flinging the pocket watch away.

At the moment the pocket watch slipped from her grasp, the feather drilled into her body along her finger, breaking through her skin and muscles, heading towards her spine and brain.

In an instant, Xia’er lost all resistance, her body going limp.

As before, a flood of incomprehensible knowledge surged into Xia’er’s mind. This time, Xia’er discerned clearly that this knowledge wasn’t any language she knew, nor was it ancient An Su.

These rune-like symbols caused one’s consciousness to scatter upon focus, and their forms blurred in the mind whenever one looked away.

Xia’er’s originally crimson hair started being stained black from the roots, transitioning to a deep blue at the tips, resembling the color of a raven’s quill.

“(Ancient An Su) So you were part of me… That’s why you could sense my arrival beforehand.”

The “Xia’er” slumped on the sofa slowly sat up and spoke:

“(Ancient An Su) I will become more complete… Hmm?”

Suddenly, the expression on “Xia’er’s” face changed drastically, and she collapsed again. This time, not only her muscles but her consciousness was rapidly dissipating.

What was happening? What was wrong with this body?

Why did she die?!?!

The black and blue colors faded from Xia’er’s hair as the consciousness of the Sealed Object prepared to leave her body.

Just then, the Sealed Object, gradually relinquishing control over the body, sensed something amiss.

The girl lying on the sofa, pale-faced like a corpse, suddenly lifted her right hand and struck her chest.

The “Substitute Sacred Relic,” a metal birdcage adorned with Barbs worn in front of her, pierced through the skin of her chest in one blow. Blood soaked the entire cage, touching the Sacred Relic inside.

Simultaneously, the girl spoke, uttering words that seemed to belong to no known place in this world. The dried blood on the floor instantly turned into threads, rushing toward the blood-stained bag full of fingers on the ground.

Before the Sealed Object could think further, a powerful force began violently pulling its spiritual essence.

What is this?!

When the Sealed Object regained awareness, it observed its surroundings.

Its surroundings were filled with golden metal stripes, as if trapped in some kind of cage. No matter how it thrashed about inside, it couldn’t break free.

Soon, its world began to spin. It felt itself rising from a dark void, finally seeing its surroundings.

This was the room from earlier.

Its perspective slowly rotated, revealing a very close, pale face.

“(Ancient An Su) Hello.”

That face smiled brightly and greeted fluently in Ancient An Su.

“(Ancient An Su) How… How could this be… Who are you?!”

The raven-shaped phantom burning within the cage trembled uncontrollably, completely unable to comprehend the situation.

But soon, it calmed down.

“(Ancient An Su) This seal is temporary… I still exist within your body, and there’s no way you can extract me without destroying yourself…”

“(Ancient An Su) I can wait…”

The red-haired girl nodded slightly in confusion and said:

“(Ancient An Su) I don’t quite understand.”

“(Ancient An Su) Just wait a moment…”

The pale-faced red-haired girl slowly rotated the birdcage in her hand. The raven-shaped phantom inside looked toward the blood-red vortex ahead.

“(Ancient An Su) This is… the Spirit Realm?!”

As the raven-shaped phantom’s shock grew, a hand covered in slit-like eyes, with dozens of joints and as large as a human face, emerged from the “Spirit Realm.”

“Xiao Zuo, help me retrieve my pocket watch. Wait for me a bit…”

The pale-faced Xia’er looked at the Spiritual Being before her and spoke.

That hand obediently picked up the fallen pocket watch and handed it to Xia’er. Subsequently, Xia’er closed her eyes, temporarily cutting off the “Reversal of Death” and entering a state of apparent death.

Dozens of seconds later, the girl’s heart, which had stopped, seemed injected with a strong stimulant, began beating violently again, and her blood circulation resumed.

Xia’er slowly sat up, holding the pocket watch, looking at Xiao Zuo before her.

“Xiao Zuo… Help me with something…”

Under her instructions, Xiao Zuo climbed onto her left hand, twisting its body to adjust its position, enveloping Xia’er’s hand like a large glove.

“(Ancient An Su) Now, I will let you out…”

Click—

Xia’er pressed the stopwatch and swung her left hand toward her head.

Smash—

Her skull shattered, blood and brain tissue splattered everywhere.

However, the spiritually-controlled left hand had already firmly grasped the bloodied sealed feather.