"Okay, let's split up. After I get home from the witch, I will immediately start preparing to enter the dark realm, the spellcasting materials, the relics, and the box that seals the demon. Once there is any unfavorable news, we will set off. Luvia, after you come back from the black market, in addition to preparing the ritual to seal the demon, don't forget to notify our other friend. Even if you can't find her, find a way to leave her a message."
Iluna has been temporarily assigned to the special operations team of the Church of the Sun these days, so she will not be in the security company.
"Okay, detective. Be careful... We've been preparing for so long, now is really the time."
Luvia reached out and hugged Shade.
"Yes, it's time."
Xia De hugged the purple-eyed girl with a serious look.
After the Coldwater Port incident, he had been waiting for Darkness to arrive. They had long known that once Darkness showed up, it would be a decisive battle. But when the moment finally came, it felt a little unreal.
But no matter what, now that we have decided to bear witness to the thirteen chosen ones, there is no way to avoid this matter.
Shad and Luvia separated at the Anthem Square. Shad got on a carriage and went directly to Miss Carina's manor in the south of the city without even going home.
Unfortunately, Miss Carina and Tifa were not in the manor. Shade learned from the manor's housekeeper that the Duchess accompanied Queen Diana to the horse farm to relax.
This somewhat disrupted Shad's plans. Shad had originally thought that he could bring back the Dark Box on this trip so that he could use the last key from 1784, complete the gamble with three Rhodes cards, and obtain the Light Spirit Rune.
But without them, Shad couldn't wait here too long, after all, Luvia might go to Saint Teresa Square to find him at any time.
So he left a letter, explaining the matter of Darkness in detail, and hoped that the Duchess would send someone to deliver the Dark Box to St. Teresa's Square as soon as possible while dealing with the matter.
He asked the housekeeper to personally deliver the letter to the royal stables, and Xia De took a carriage back to the city and went straight home.
He opened the door and went upstairs in such a hurry that Mia, who was at home, was startled and thought something had happened. While Shade was packing up the things he might need, the orange cat kept following behind Shade, as if he was worried that Shade would run away from home with his luggage but without it.
The gun of kindness that could kill with one strike in certain situations, the pages of poetry manuscripts that could bring the dream of St. Byrons College at any time, the last pirate's blood money, the twenty-sided dice that interfered with divination, the leaves of eternal youth for healing, the demon hunting seal against demons, and the ring of transformation that could be used as a life, all of these were carried on the body.
The soul fishing rod was left at home because it was inconvenient to carry, but the gift box from God, as a key item, had to be taken along.
However, this box was also inconvenient to carry, so Xia De used the needle, thread, cloth and scissors at home to make a very ugly backpack.
After placing the heavy metal box into the bag, Shade tried to carry it on his back and jumped a few times. After confirming that it was sturdy, he placed it on the coffee table. After opening the lid of the box, he wondered if he should put some of the relics that would not be used in battle into the box instead of carrying them on his body to prevent himself from losing control due to the dark realm.
"Safety first, keep everything on you."
He thought about it, and put the Demon Hunting Seal and the Transformation Ring on his right hand, and the Mind Crystal Ring on his left hand. Although Shade didn't want to become a woman at all, when it really came to the point, life was more important than principles.
After looking at his hands, Shade took off the pebble ring again:
“The transformation from positive to negative is the beginning of a new life.”
He recited the spell quickly to prevent himself from forgetting it when he needed it, and then put the ring on his hand again.
At the same time, Mia the cat, who had been treating the ring as a toy, squatted on the sofa and looked at Shade eagerly. Seeing that Shade was muttering the list of items in a low voice and had no intention of returning the ring to it or playing with it, the small orange cat meowed again, flicked its tail, and looked at the relics that Shade had placed on the coffee table in front of its paws and counted.
"There is also a weak angel potion. Don't forget this."
He got up from the sofa and took out the potion that was kept away from light from the locked drawer in the study. Next to this tube of potion was an eye drop that was as viscous as oil. The ophthalmologist made this potion from precious red potion. Although it could not make eye-related magic evolve like red potion, it had the effect of enhancing vision, so Shade took this out as well.
Standing in the living room and thinking:
"Help me think about it. Is there anything else I need to prepare?"
Your door pendant.
She whispered softly in his ear, and Shade immediately slapped his forehead:
"Oh, yes, I can't forget this. Even if Miss Carina doesn't have time to deliver the Dark Box, this last chance can still provide me with 20 minutes of safety and rest time. Not to mention, if I win the bet, I might even get a chance to have a brief conversation with the God of Gamblers... It was the right decision not to use the key in advance."
While praising himself, he took out the time key and put it in his pocket. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief and sat on the sofa looking at the relics on the coffee table.
At this moment, outsiders don’t know whether they should be nervous or excited.
It was around three o'clock on Thursday afternoon when we returned home from Miss Carina's manor, and it was almost five o'clock after we packed up the items that might be needed for the adventure.
Shad didn't want to miss Luvia's news because of eating, so he just had some bread at home for dinner. This made Mia, who was still eating cod liver oil mixed with cat food, think that Shad had no food.
So, this cat, very rarely, did not eat all the food that Shade gave it. Instead, it left some, then stood on the dining table and came to Shade with its little bowl held up with its little head.
Xia De was a little anxious at first, but when he saw Mia's expression, he inexplicably relaxed:
"We've been preparing for so long, nothing will happen."
He did not change into home clothes, but wore clothes that were convenient for going out. He sat on the sofa with Miss Feliana's notebook and read it until that evening.
Luvia finally knocked on the door downstairs at around ten o'clock on this Thursday night. Judging from her appearance, she had not been idle for the whole afternoon and evening:
"The good news is that Darkness and the Bloodthirster have not entered the dark realm so far. The bad news is that the church can't find any trace of them. If a thirteenth-ring warlock wants to hide, no one can find him easily."
The purple-eyed girl sat on the sofa, looking a little tired:
"The church has received our news, but I didn't get to see Iluna. She went directly to the south of the city with the church's team. I think the church planned that if things go wrong, the Sun Great Sword would lead Iluna into the dark realm to fight Darkness and Hermons."
"That's good, but we can't just sit and wait for news from Iluna."
"Yes, some fortune tellers from the Prophecy Association have also been dispatched to the south of the city. I will return to the association in a moment to collect intelligence from their channels. If it is confirmed that Darkness has entered the dark realm, I will come to you immediately. Shade, don't sleep too deeply tonight. I may knock on your door at any time."
Xia De nodded and looked at the relics he placed on the table:
"Luvia, you should also take care to rest, don't be too..."
"How can I rest at a time like this!"
Her voice suddenly became so loud that the cat was frightened and ran straight into Shad's arms.
The purple-eyed girl immediately showed a look of regret:
"Feel sorry."
This look was very similar to the one she had experienced when she almost lost control after learning that Shade had confirmed who the chosen one was in Coldwater Harbor.
"Luvia, calm down."
Xia De remained calm and reached out to hold Luvia's left hand:
"I don't know why you get so emotional when it comes to the Chosen One. But we have the upper hand in the current situation, so there's no need to rush."
"I'm sorry, I lost my composure."
She raised her right hand and covered her forehead:
"I just... ... when I think about the possibility that Darkness could complete the ritual and escape from Tobesk, I just... ... feel... ... I can't explain it... ... I feel like the world is about to end. I'm sorry, Shade, I'm really sorry."
She lowered her head and said nothing more. Xia De held her hand and looked at the starry sky outside the window:
"No matter what, I'm always here."
He almost whispered.
Luvia left soon, and Shade did not go to bed to sleep all night. Instead, he rested on the sofa with his clothes and blanket on, ready to go at any time. Although he only had two rings, his strong physical fitness could barely support him to do so.
But if this continues for several days, Xia De will definitely not be able to hold on.
But it didn't matter to Mia where Shade slept. It slept on the back of the sofa all night. When it woke up on Friday morning, it called a few times in a daze, as if it couldn't understand why it was in the living room and couldn't see Shade. But when the cat was fully awake, it looked down and saw Shade on the sofa, and immediately became very excited and asked Shade to prepare breakfast.
"Good morning, Mia."
Xia De yawned, lifted the blanket and got up from the sofa. When he stretched, it seemed that all the bones in his body were cracking. This sound was not an illusion, because the orange cat also heard it and looked at Xia De with great curiosity.
After breakfast, Shade returned to the living room to wait. At this time, whether Miss Carina asked the servant to come with the Dark Box, or Luvia came again, it would be a surprise for Shade.
But from that morning till that evening, no one came to visit. It was not until the evening when Shad took Mia out for dinner that he finally saw the girl waiting at his door.
But it wasn't Luvia, it was Dorothy.
The blonde female writer stood at the door of Xia De's house, bathing in the late summer sunset. Suddenly she turned around and smiled at the stranger carrying the cat, and Xia De felt that his heart was about to stop beating.
Dorothy's purpose of visiting this time was to borrow Detective Sparrow's detective records from Shad. She wanted to excerpt some parts that would not reveal privacy and mail them to her writer friends to share.
Of course, Shade had no objection to this. However, when Dorothy followed Shade to the second floor and saw the table full of relics and spell materials, she stopped in surprise:
"Is the thing you've been busy with recently finally coming to an end?"
"Yes."
Shad nodded. Seeing that he didn't want to talk any more, Dorothy pursed her lips and said:
"If help is needed, Leicia can probably mobilize a steam infantry company of more than a hundred people in the city."
"No, no, I can handle it myself."
Shad shook his head slightly. He would never involve Dorothy and Lesia in any terrible things related to the devil.
"You really don't need my help?"
"No, I'm not going to do anything dangerous."
"Well, take this."
She took the leaf of eternal youth out from the gap between the silver ornaments hanging around her neck:
"Lend it to me again in a few days to prove that you haven't done anything dangerous."
"OK."
Xia De smiled and nodded. After completing the key in his hand, there would still be two leaves, so he was confident that he would not be discovered.
"Also, this is the ancient text of the Kiss of the Tree that Leicia helped me find. I was thinking of giving it to you at the meeting tomorrow, Saturday."
She handed Shade another roll of parchment:
"I always feel that it's not good that your Tree Kiss Spirit Rune can't be connected to thaumaturgy, so take this, maybe it can help you someday."
Xia De looked at what he had in his hand:
“I… I…”
"I'm waiting for you to tell me your story after your adventure."
She smiled and said:
"Xia De, you must, must tell me."
This time, Shad felt even more guilty about lying.
Mia got into God's gift box, and seeing that Shade didn't pull it out this time, she looked curiously at the two people looking at each other in the sunset.