Chapter 525

Chapter 525: Summoning at Midnight

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It had been three days since the last event. Vincent, the priest, returned somewhat tiredly to the small chapel halfway up the mountain. The nun who was left in charge handed him a note left by Lohil.

After reading the contents of the note, the priest’s expression darkened slightly. He put on his coat again.

“Are you going out? It’s already dark outside, and the mountain path might be difficult to navigate,” asked the nun beside him.

“Luna, have you forgotten my abilities? What difference does it make whether it’s day or night for me?” Vincent said as he adjusted his coat.

“I haven’t forgotten, but I’m afraid you might have. You’ve lived past your hundredth birthday almost twenty years ago. The handsome priest who took care of me when I was young has become an old man now,” the nun said, bringing a lantern and placing it in front of Vincent.

“Hmm, alright then, I’ll take this.” Vincent chuckled and shook his head, seemingly unwilling to admit his age.

The white-robed elder disappeared into the darkness along the mountain path, guided only by the small lantern. All around was pitch-black, with occasional insect sounds echoing through the night.

—

Aquarius Palace.

Knock knock—

Lohil was awakened by the sound of knocking at her door in her sleep.

Fortunately, the noise was not too loud, and Bolly was still fast asleep beside her.

She got up, walked to the door, lit the lantern on the table, and opened the door. Sister Meilian stood outside, looking rather anxious. Her frown finally relaxed when she saw Lohil open the door.

“I apologize for disturbing your rest, Lohil. But there’s something urgent that requires your help right now.”

“Only me?” Lohil looked at Bolly, who was still sleeping inside.

“Yes,” Meilian nodded.

“Alright, let me change first.” Lohil closed the door and changed into her nun’s robes before stepping back outside.

“Follow me.” Meilian led Lohil down the corridor. It was already deep into the night, and everything was very quiet. They could hear the rustling of their clothes and footsteps clearly.

They left the room where they were resting, passed through the courtyard bathed in moonlight, and arrived at a secluded house. Outside the house stood four fully armed Church Knights, all Sequence 5 beings and rare elites within the knightly order.

After exchanging a few words with one of the knights at the door, he nodded and stepped aside, allowing Lohil and Meilian to enter.

Inside the room, the lights were bright, with torches mounted on the walls. They walked down a short corridor and reached a

In front of the door with steel rivets, Meilian knocked and muttered a short incantation. The door rippled with light like water, and only then did the lock click and open.

The small room was filled with people. In the middle, a middle-aged man lay on the bed, the same person that Lohil had reported about a few days ago.

At this moment, his limbs were fixed to the bed with iron shackles, seemingly having fallen asleep. Around him stood four people dressed in pitch-black robes. These four exuded a mysterious aura; even their extraordinary senses seemed to be concealed by the black robes, making them difficult to probe.

They remained silent, weapons hanging at their waists, suggesting they were elite combatants.

Apart from these four, two others stood beside them. One was also clad in black, but seemed to hold a higher status, conversing with an elder. This elder was none other than Vincent, the retired archbishop and Lohil’s former teacher.

“Based on our investigation using the ‘Pure Blood Holy Sphere,’ this person has indeed been tainted by the corruption of the Chaos Phantom,” Vincent said slowly.

“However, the process was slight, akin to a dragonfly landing on the water surface, barely leaving any trace. It wasn’t until the holy artifact came within a meter that there was a faint reaction.”

“That being the case, it proves that Lohil did not lie. We need to investigate every route and person this individual encountered on their way to the Holy Land,” Vincent continued.

“It can be done, but it will take considerable time. What concerns us most is that the Chaos Phantom might have spread during this period,” the black-robed figure said in a low voice from under his hood.

“Teacher Vincent, you called me,” Lohil stepped forward, bowing slightly, then looked up at the elder.

“Yes, I thank you for your early discovery this time.”

“Though it may seem presumptuous, I am curious about how you discovered it. It’s not an easy task, given the subtle symptoms.”

“Because I once saw the Chaos Phantom in Emanas. I had an impression back then, so when I encountered it again, I naturally recognized it,” Lolan Hill replied. What she said was true; all of this could be verified through the school records.

“The disturbance in Emanas two years ago led us to send investigators, which is why we know of Miss Lohil’s reputation,” the black-robed figure said, lifting his hood to reveal his eyes, which reflected the firelight on the walls, sharp and piercing.

“But this time, we want to understand the specific details of how Miss Lohil discovered this person’s abnormality. This is not out of suspicion, but rather curiosity about such early and acute perception.”

“Hmm.”

Gathering her thoughts, she recalled the process and began to narrate slowly.

As she spoke, the robed figure suddenly interrupted.

“Wait a moment, Miss Lohil mentioned just now that she felt something unusual when passing through the Main Hall, and only confirmed it upon getting closer.”

“Where exactly in the Main Hall did you feel this anomaly, and how far were you from the sickbed at the time?” His questions became more detailed.

“About 50 meters away, I felt a faint sense of something amiss, and then as I approached to about 3 meters, I was certain,” Lohil replied thoughtfully. Her memories from this life were quite clear, and many details could be recalled.

“Fifty meters,” the robed figure murmured, falling into a brief silence.

Taking advantage of this momentary calm, Priest Vincent finally spoke.

“I apologize for disturbing your rest, Lohil, but we have only recently confirmed that this person has indeed encountered or been affected by something. That’s why we urgently summoned you to understand the situation.”

Lolan Hill nodded in understanding, then stood aside quietly, waiting patiently.

After Vincent and the robed man beside him discussed a few more points, the robed man instructed the two mysterious figures guarding the bedside to leave, arranging for further investigation.

Once everything was settled, they stopped their discussion. Then, the robed figure approached. He was slightly tall, and his body, hidden under the robe, seemed robust. As he walked up to Lolan Hill, the young lady felt a significant pressure.

It was a raging soul fire, but the flames were not warm; instead, they felt cold and piercing. He seemed to have killed many people, showing a casual indifference towards life.

“Could Miss Lohil lend us a hand?”

“Please go ahead,” the young lady raised her azure eyes. The pure color of her pupils shone like beautiful gems under the candlelight.

“We would like to invite you to participate in a very simple test. Regardless of the outcome, we will provide you with some compensation.”

“What kind of test is it?” The young lady continued to ask.

“It’s like this…”

The robed figure slowly narrated. Although the face hidden under the hood could not be seen clearly, Lohil felt that he was someone who wouldn’t lie about trivial matters. Moreover, Vincent was standing beside her, and this elder trusted him completely.

After listening to his narration, Lohil nodded.

“I agree to help with this.”

“Then we’ll meet tomorrow, Miss Lohil.” He left the other two to guard the room, then took a torch from the wall and walked out, disappearing into the night.

(End of Chapter)