Chapter 784
The Child Who Pushed Down the Sandcastle
“Haha, I’ve heard of you, Odvar!”
Red Phase laughed, pushing King Valentine VIII off his lap. He then grabbed Louise from behind him and made her lie prostrate on the table.
Amidst the unreserved cries of Queen Louise—now the Dowager Queen—he loudly declared, “I’ve heard of your heroic deeds as a youth. Honestly, even I would be amazed by your courage!”
—That wasn’t a heroic deed. Nor could it be called courage.
Professor Rasimi thought indifferently in his heart.
“…Heroic deeds?”
Valentine VIII, pulling up his pants, asked his adoptive father with some curiosity.
He had long since grown accustomed to this depraved and sinful “love.” His slight discomfort now was merely because Professor Rasimi, a stern and unfamiliar presence, was ruining the atmosphere.
“Yes,” Red Phase Pomanach exclaimed with great interest, “this one—he once slept with a corpse, his own dead sister! It spread throughout the entire township he lived in… Even for us Extraordinary beings on the Path of Love, it was a ridiculously mad act!”
Professor Rasimi lowered his head even further.
Red Phase spoke the truth; it had indeed happened, and not an exaggeration.
This was the reason he embarked on the Twilight Path and developed his indifferent personality… and also the original motive behind his invention of the “Noose,” a Potion specifically designed for preserving corpses.
He had harbored this peculiar preference since childhood. It wasn’t until his sister died of heart disease, and he returned from the city to his village for her wake before the funeral, that he couldn’t control himself and chose to desecrate the corpse.
This incident happened to be witnessed by his uncle, who had come out at night to use the restroom.
Although the act itself was not illegal in Star Antinomy, as Necromancers could indeed create Undead beings with similar properties, it was still too avant-garde for Ordinary People—especially since corpses and Undead were entirely different concepts.
Once discovered, even in Star Antinomy, where Necromancy was quite prevalent, he would become a “celebrity” in his township, a topic of conversation. From then on, his “rumors” would forever follow him, making normal studies in middle and high school impossible.
Even after he transferred to the Spirit Tower, all his classmates and mentors somehow knew about it.
Among these people, some harbored disgust and malice. They couldn’t understand Rasimi’s actions and were even wary and disgusted—but Rasimi was quite friendly towards their attitudes.
Because they constantly reminded Rasimi that he was, in fact, “wrong.”
Conversely, those who showed him a modicum of kindness… or rather, those who approached him with what they perceived as “well-intentioned kindness,” would repeatedly bring up the matter, striving to convey an attitude of “I don’t care about your past.” Yet, they kept mentioning it, causing Professor Rasimi to fall silent, even wishing to forget those past events.
Even when Rasimi explicitly stated he didn’t want to discuss these matters, many people assumed he was “shy” or “repentant,” and their “jokes” became even more frequent.
After all, in the chaotic and absurd Star Antinomy, a nation where the Banquet Master was worshipped in many places, there were plenty of people with stronger desires and more outrageous practices than him.
But no one could truly understand Rasimi’s essence. They merely thought him too lustful, even trying to take him to Child of the Moon establishments; some, with malice or simply for business, would deliberately ask him if he wanted to buy some “beautiful corpses.”
Rasimi wasn’t the type to get angry. He didn’t consider himself righteous, nor did he want to cause trouble over such matters… but at the same time, he felt self-conscious and guilty about his peculiarity. Thus, he could only choose silence, refuse all social interaction, and isolate himself from others.
Fortunately, it was the Spirit Tower, where people’s interest in others faded quickly. He soon obtained the tranquility he desired and poured all his love and obsession into the study of Necromancy.
It was precisely because of this that he, a villager by birth, had the opportunity to step into the Fourth Tier.
As an Extraordinary being on the Twilight Path, he had to choose a “sub-profession” to enter the Fourth Tier. Typically, Extraordinary beings on the Twilight Path would choose either the Path of Beauty or the Path of Devotion to become an Amber Craftsman or a Ghoul Shepherd.
These two professions were the most common choices, accounting for over 90% of advancement professions for the Twilight Path. All others were considered niche professions.
Professor Rasimi’s profession was called Netherwalker.
It was a profession achieved by merging with a Curse Mage from the Transcendent Path!
Through this advanced profession, Professor Rasimi gained the ability to communicate with the dead.
He could travel to the Underworld by entering dreams—
—The so-called Underworld was what some folk legends believed to be the “place where people go after death.”
In reality, the “Underworld” had a more precise definition within the Dream Realm… which was the “staging area for the River of the Dream Realm.”
It sounded like the Twilight Path, and indeed it was.
But because Amber did not directly manage anything, this domain was overseen by the Hourglass deity. After people were buried, their souls were sent here; seven days after death, their souls would be cast into the River of the Dream Realm.
The God of Death officiators, appointed by the Hourglass, would patrol vigilantly, intercepting any souls attempting to escape into the Dream Realm before the seven-day period, or trying to recapture souls that had already escaped.
In other words, if the deceased wished to become a Phantom Demon or even ascend to Heavenly Envoy without relying on any Pillar God or Heavenly Envoy, they would first have to escape from these Gods of Death. While they could be considered apostles of Amber in terms of power, they were actually promoted by the Hourglass using Amber’s power, thus they were also apostles of Balance.
Of course, the resurrection of the dead was a forbidden act, equivalent to snatching food from the mouths of Pillar Gods and Heavenly Envoys. Even if it were a mundane soul that no one cared about, attempting to resurrect it might provoke the Hourglass’s hostility by disrupting the rules.
However, the Netherwalker had a unique advantage.
As the saying goes, “The dying speak truthfully.” No matter how insane a person was during their life, their last words would always be human; not to mention a person who was thoroughly dead and whose soul was about to be reforged… Not everyone could be chosen as an apostle. For most souls, the Underworld was the final stop in their lives.
Here, everyone could understand their future.
For those muddled souls, just being able to chat with someone again would be very satisfying… Secrets they kept until their death, never telling anyone, would be involuntarily revealed.
Professor Rasimi could easily obtain many unspeakable secrets from these deceased individuals.
His颓废like demeanor, as if of a corpse, filled with Yin energy, was proof of his soul being eroded by negative energy due to frequent contact with the dead during his dreams. It was precisely because he held so many secrets that the Rose Cross society accepted Professor Rasimi, who was only at the Second Tier on the Transcendent Path and hadn’t even signed a contract with a Demon.
The ability to communicate with the deceased was too enticing… and among a hundred Extraordinary beings on the Twilight Path, perhaps not even one would have an adaptability to the Transcendent Path.
Among Extraordinary beings on the Twilight Path who reached the Fourth Tier, he was the only one—meaning Professor Rasimi was currently the only Netherwalker in all of Star Antinomy.
Even the reckless Red Phase treated such a rare talent with considerable kindness.
Thus, although he wasn’t part of the military, he was directly awarded the rank of Lieutenant Colonel; Blood Coral, the lover of Child of the Moon, would tell him many secrets involving the Fifth and even Sixth Tiers to please him, attempting to control him with her body… and after realizing she probably couldn’t achieve this, she wanted to set up a trap to hold his leverage.
“Alright, I won’t tease you anymore,” Pomanach said, smiling broadly. “Is there anything important you need to report to me in person? I hope it’s good news.”
“It is good news,” Professor Rasimi said with utter certainty. “The ‘Madam Beyad’ you’ve been looking for is currently in Leipzig.”
“Oh?”
Red Phase opened his eyes, a clear look of joy appearing in them. “Did you inquire about this… or did you see it yourself?”
“I saw it myself,” Professor Rasimi stated firmly. “She was wearing ‘Light of Hrasal’ numbered 002, on the ship from the Church to Star Antinomy. She easily defeated a ‘Sea Bride’ and sealed it in a Tarot Card.
“Besides me, many others know—’Miss Alistair saved them.’ And the alias Alistair Crowley belongs to Viness Emil Zola Beyad. She should currently be residing in Prince Xiardo’s mansion… I believe Count Dawn was killed by her previously.”
“That’s wonderful…”
Pomanach sighed, a serene and satisfied smile spreading across his face. “Finally, I can see her again… an old friend from days gone by. I wonder if she remembers Basil; we met back then. That was the first time I took Basil to Crescent Moon Manor, and the last time I saw Madam Beyad… The Beyad Group was renowned when the Empire still existed…”
He spoke like a nostalgic old man, recounting the past stories he had told countless times, becoming increasingly excited, while Louise’s cries grew louder.
But suddenly, his expression darkened, and his movements abruptly stopped. He then pushed Louise away.
“—Blood Diamond.”
Pomanach stepped forward, speaking slowly. “Why didn’t you know about this?”
“My lord, the Secret Chamber did receive information about ‘Alistair briefly appearing in Leipzig,’ but due to its importance, we wanted to verify it first…”
Immense pressure descended, and Blood Diamond’s forehead was covered in sweat.
“And the result?” Pomanach retorted.
“Still verifying… but the result should be about the same,” Blood Diamond said in a low voice, biting the bullet.
“Oh…” Pomanach realized. “So, you knew. But you didn’t tell me.”
—If I had told you directly and it turned out to be false information afterward, the trouble would have been even greater!
Blood Diamond muttered inwardly.
But she knew she couldn’t explain to the unreasonable Red Phase, so she could only glare fiercely at Professor Rasimi before admitting her fault, “It’s my duty that was negligent…”
Before she could finish speaking, a heart-wrenching pain suddenly shot through her.
Blood Diamond clutched her chest and abdomen, screaming as she stumbled backward—she had been physically disemboweled.
“—You still intend to make a move on Odvar?” Pomanach said sinisterly. “He brought me the news I wanted… He is my friend. For you to make a move on my friend, does that mean you want to usurp my position?”
Blood Diamond, covered in cold sweat, couldn’t utter a word.
Pomanach then turned to Professor Rasimi, a gentle smile on his face. “Thank you very much, Odvar. What kind of reward do you want? Tell Blood Coral directly… I can’t wait to reunite with my old friend.”
“Father…”
Valentine VIII’s eyes widened, feeling a strong sense of unease. “If you leave, I might…”
—Perhaps be assassinated.
After all, everyone knew he was Red Phase’s puppet. But some fool might think that Red Phase needed him to maintain his rule…
“That’s just a perfect opportunity to transform into Child of the Moon, isn’t it?” Pomanach cheerfully patted Lucien’s head, completely unconcerned about the safety of this puppet king.
“Why not have Brother Leipzig bring her back?” Queen Louise, having quickly tidied her clothes, proposed an idea.
“No, no, no… that’s unreliable,” Red Phase dismissed. “What if he accidentally angers her? That fellow isn’t always reliable with his tasks… I’ll have to go myself.
“As for Lionheart City, leave it to—never mind, it doesn’t matter. Do as you please. I’m leaving now.”
He didn’t care about power anyway.
Professor Rasimi added, “I hypothesize that Madam Beyad’s trip to Star Antinomy this time might be related to the ‘Ouroboros Ring Ritual’ and the ‘Perfect Being’.”
Upon hearing this, Pomanach became even more jubilant. “Wonderful! Every piece of news you bring is music to my ears! I love you, my friend! Ever since I saw you, it’s been nothing but good news!”
He hadn’t actually wanted to see Beyad that much originally. At least, not to this extent.
It wasn’t just nostalgia… but a confusion he didn’t want to tell anyone about.
—In this era, no one could understand him.
And no one was qualified to even attempt to understand him.
After his dear friend from days gone by died, this country had gradually deviated from its original course.
This made his interest in Star Antinomy wane, even turning into hatred born of love.
So, he personally destroyed Star Antinomy’s inheritance and then planned to personally extinguish his dear friend’s bloodline… He had thought he would find liberation, like a child happily knocking down a sandcastle built with great care, ready for the next game.
But all he felt was emptiness called “meaninglessness.” It was like finally finishing a long-read book; although the ending had arrived, he wasn’t happy.
And Beyad, perhaps, could resolve his doubts!
After all these years, how did she maintain her “mental vitality”?
Pomanach had no intention of waiting for the train—he transformed into a Blood Bat and sped towards the city of Leipzig!
His speed was not particularly fast, but he had the advantage of being able to travel in a straight line.
In less than half a day, Pomanach would personally arrive in Leipzig!
(End of this chapter)
