"five!"
A thunderclap sounded from the sky. This was the first time Shade had heard such a clear sound in the narrow space. Then, dozens of dark beams of light fell straight down from the foggy sky like a rain of light.
Xia De dodged immediately without caring about his injuries, but the black rain of light actually began to move closely following him.
"Four!"
His nose twitched, and Xia De smelled the fragrance of flowers in the bedroom. He was about to leave. The dark sickle swept from the front again, and Xia De had no way to dodge because of the light rain following from behind. If he stopped to defend, he would probably be attacked by the light rain until he was powerless.
"There's nothing I can do."
The power of the last red butterfly was completely absorbed into the body. Xia De's steps paused for a moment, and then his whole body exploded, turning into a group of red butterflies and flying high into the sky.
"three!"
But the red butterflies didn't fly too far away. The master of the maze suppressed the high-altitude flight and forced Shade back to the ground, returning to human form. Shade was actually very glad that Barton did this. For a moment, he almost thought that he was really the collective consciousness of the red butterflies.
"I really can't rely too much on the power of the relic..."
The black light rain followed closely, and at the same time, Joey Barton slowly floated over. He held a black sphere in his hand, and the sphere was expanding. Shade had a hunch that once the black sphere exploded, the shield of the soul ring and the false immortal state combined would probably not be able to save his injuries.
"two!"
Someone was shaking Xia De's shoulder, and in his half-asleep and half-awake state, Xia De's consciousness seemed to be divided into two.
"Mr. Watson, this is the power I realized in the narrow space. Going so deep into death, touching death so much, I understand what the end is."
Barton's voice seemed to come from far away, but he was so close. His special upbringing made him more talented than Iluna and Darkness. Coupled with the power of the narrow space, the danger of this battle was comparable to the decisive battle with Darkness:
"Is it true that every time I face the Chosen One, it will be more difficult than the last time?"
While running, Shade put his hands together, then pulled them apart suddenly, and an arc of silver moonlight slashed towards the man flying at low altitude.
"Grant you—"
The black ball burst, time seemed to stand still at this moment, darkness descended, and everything around seemed to be pushed to the end, representing the end of the end:
"—Destined death!"
"wake up!"
The feeling of cold water pouring over his head awakened Xia De from his dream.
"oh!"
He opened his eyes, gasping for air, breathing deeply, enjoying the joy of being alive, and then he started coughing violently, coughing up blood from his lungs.
Cold water slid down his cheeks, and someone really poured water on Shad's face.
He returned to the basement of Cassandra's auction house, supported himself with one hand, and sat on the soft four-poster bed. The black veil around him had been pulled aside, and Miss Aurora was sitting on the side of the bed holding Shade's left hand. Mother-in-law Cassandra was holding a red butterfly pendant with a nervous look on her face, and it seemed that she was going to ask Grace and Helen for help.
As for the old witch's apprentice, Miss Rita Swift, she stood at the head of the bed with an empty bowl in her hand and smiled at Shade rather embarrassedly.
She was the one who splashed the water.
The bonfire in the fireplace was relit, and the shadow of the old witch was cast on the bed. The sound of the maids walking around made the world more vivid, and also made Shade's cold soul feel the warmth of the real world again.
Taking a deep breath, Shade could still feel the final moment of the death of everything in his dream. He believed that Joey Barton would not use that move without cost, but even he did not want to face that kind of scene again.
Looking down at his right hand, the Doctor's black crystal amulet had shattered. The three relic rings on his left hand were intact, but the chaotic whispering elements indicated that they were on the verge of losing control.
Shade quickly took off the ring in his hand, and the sorceresses waiting nearby took the ring and urgently sent it to the storage room on the other side of the basement.
"Shad, how do you feel now?"
Miss Aurora asked with concern, and Shade shook his head:
"The situation is bad, very bad. Without a targeted plan, I'm afraid the church won't be able to gain much benefit."
He briefly described what happened in the dream of the narrow space, emphasizing that Joey Barton was gradually integrating the unknowable relic of the narrow space of life and death with the talent of the chosen one and the knowledge he gained from the Truth Society:
"He can even open the life and death maze in the narrow space. When the two are combined, it is hard to imagine how to defeat him. And the last move, the destined death... ... It is an indiscriminate large-scale attack. Even if you have the ability to avoid instant death within the coverage area, you will be pushed to the end... ... It is really terrifying. I can't imagine a mortal being able to do this."
Miss Rita Swift handed Shad a towel, and Shad wiped the water off his face. Miss Aurora's hand was transmitting warmth to Shad, and he felt better:
"But what is certain is that Barton does want to enter real death through one of the three channels, and then find the soul of his beloved in death."
"The passage on the mountainside is guarded by us and Defulin. There is a church and a phoenix on the top of the mountain. Could it be that he wants to go through the door at the foot of the mountain?"
Miss Aurora guessed:
"After all, you met him near the Natural Church in the Narrows."
"That might just be to distract the church. He used the maze just now, and the souls guarding the church could have noticed it, not to mention the church you mentioned entering the narrow space to look for him. I think we will get news from the Five Gods Church soon. So, there is a possibility that he used three channels..."
After a moment's hesitation, he added:
"The chosen ones of balance will stay at the church at the foot of the mountain. In addition, the church has three thirteenth-ring sorcerers in the local area, and one in each of the three major thaumaturgy schools. Even if they are scattered, there will be a thirteenth-ring sorcerer in each passage."
"No, the three thirteenth rings of the church should all be on the mountain. They are needed for the ceremony."
Granny Cassandra said. This always smiling old witch now had a worried look on her face:
"Anyway, the final moment is finally here. The ceremony will not be held today, Tuesday, but tomorrow, Wednesday evening... Xia De, what are you going to do tomorrow?"
Shade blinked:
"Since Midhill Castle is so dangerous tomorrow, I plan to stay in Tobesk and wait for your good news."
"This lie is a poor one."
Miss Aurora snorted and laughed:
"Anyway, whatever you want to do, be careful."
She could never have guessed what Shade's goal was.
In the short hour that Xia De was dreaming, half a day had already passed in real life.
It was Tuesday noon, and the witches invited Shade to have lunch together, but Shade declined the invitation because he had things to do. Before he left Cassandra's auction house, Granny Cassandra gave Shade a rusty red butterfly pendant. It was a complete pendant with a whisper element attached to it:
"The teachers are still in the room and are not expected to be able to move around freely until tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. The narrow space is on the verge of collapse, and they dare not go out and risk catalyzing a disaster. Xia De, this is an item made by the teachers. It allows you to temporarily use part of the power of the Red Butterfly. But don't use it lightly unless it is absolutely necessary. The power attached to it is too strong."
"Grace and Helen..."
Grandma Cassandra had no way of knowing what Shad wanted to do, but the Gemini girls probably guessed that Shad would enter the narrow room again tomorrow.
After bidding farewell to the two witches, Shad once again went to the Sun Church in the Midhill Castle Parish, and it took him a lot of effort to see Iluna.
He told the 17-year-old girl about his dream, emphasizing the mystery lock and the destined death, and reminded her to be careful. At the same time, Shade also learned that the average level of the team sent by the Church of Nature into the narrow space today was 8.
However, neither Shade nor Iluna were optimistic about their actions.
He wrote a letter to Sister Defulin at the Blind House, and then returned to Tobesk. When he got home, it was already evening. Shad, holding someone else's cat, waited for Luvia to get off work on the first floor of the Prophet's Association, and then the two went to the restaurant on Silver Cross Avenue for dinner.
Luvia listened quietly to what Shade had said today, and after he finished, she asked softly:
"So after you get home, you will prepare your travel equipment, and then go to Midhill Castle to wait for the church ceremony to begin tomorrow?"
"Yes, when the church ceremony begins, the guarding forces of the three channels are the most dispersed, and Joey Barton is likely to take action at that time. I will go deep into the narrow space, using this body instead of through dreams. In the narrow space, I will witness the end of Joey Barton."
Shade cut the steak on the plate:
"Since he doesn't want to turn back, I can only regard him as an enemy. Fortunately, I have the Night's Watch in my hands, and I have the confidence to face the maze again. With Iluna, this time it shouldn't be a problem."
Although his tone was lighthearted, Luvia knew how dangerous this was.
The purple-eyed girl put on some light makeup in order to have dinner with Xia De. At this moment, she pursed her lips:
"You chose to go to the church at the bottom of the mountain instead of going up the mountain? Why?"
Shade used the fork in his hand to arrange the three pieces of meat in parallel on the plate. Mia Cat looked at him expectantly:
"Priest Augustus is now at the top of the mountain, and Sister Defulin is following the witches to the mountainside. Isn't the rest of the answer obvious? Moreover, Iluna is at the foot of the mountain. Even for her safety, I can't go anywhere else."
"Does she need your protection?"
Luvia said in a low voice, shaking her red wine glass under the gas light, the wine-red liquid presenting a blurry color:
"I really hate this feeling of waiting, waiting for you to return from your adventures."
"Since the Star Whale didn't show up tonight, it will definitely show up tomorrow night. While you're waiting for me to come back, you can also complete the big event of the College of Arts this fall. This process won't be boring."
Xia De sighed:
"In fact, I also want to see this legendary creature, but unfortunately, I will most likely be in the narrow room tomorrow night."
"You know, that's not what I'm talking about."
Luvia shook her head, lowered her head and took out the fortune-telling cards from her handbag, pushed them to Shade and asked him to draw one:
"As usual, before you set out, let me tell your fortune for you, my knight."
Shade nodded, slapped away Mia's outstretched claws, and then pulled out a card from the middle:
"The ferryman."
On the card was an endless river, with only half of the huge moon floating on the water. The ferryman in a robe was rowing towards the moon.
He placed the card face up on top of the deck, then handed the cards back to Luvia:
"So, what does this card mean?"
"You will become an important guide, pointing the way for someone important, and be rewarded for it - this is the most basic meaning of this card."
"What about other meanings?"
Luvia shook her head and said nothing. Shade could see that she was in a bad mood, but he also understood her thoughts at the moment. The three of them had agreed to witness all this together, but this time, Shade and Iluna had to face it again, and Luvia could only wait silently.
"Iluna told me today that she will be back in Tobesk this weekend, and she has made an appointment with us to have dinner and watch the opera together. When the time comes, will we still go to the King's Opera House in Delarion? Maybe we can go to another place this time."
He smiled and changed the subject, while the waiter pushed the cart and brought the clam soup. Shade loosened the buttons on his formal sleeves and motioned for Luvia to look over:
"Look."
He pierced his fingers into his sleeves, and then "twisted" out a somewhat wilted red rose from his sleeves:
"For you, Luvia."
The young waiter at the side thought it was a magic trick, but the girl with purple eyes saw that it was the effect of a magical toy.
She took the flower and forced a smile. Xia De leaned back slightly on the chair, looking away from the pretty girl at the same table with him and looking at the crystal chandelier above this high-end restaurant.
The lighting is beautiful, very pretty.
How many flowers did you buy from the girl selling flowers
There was a whisper in my ear.
"Eight."
Shad remembers it clearly.
How many flowers have been given away now
"Iluna, Queen Diana, Miss Carina, Tifa, and Luvia gave out five flowers."
He thought for a moment:
"Oh, and there are Lesia and Dorothy. They took one together. So there are two flowers left now."
Who are you going to give the rest to
The light made Shade's eyes shine, and many noble ladies around him were secretly looking at him. Luvia also looked across the table with flowers in her hand, at the handsome young man with a smile on his face.
Sometimes, the purple-eyed girl couldn't believe how lucky she was to have met this young detective who loved cats.
"Those flowers are not just roses. As for who I plan to give them to..."
His right hand unconsciously reached to his chest, tapped it lightly, and then took out a handkerchief. This action was very natural, and no one could see anything wrong.
Only “she” is smiling gently, “she” is always like this.
－－－－－－－Off-topic－－－－－－－