Silent Crown

Chapter 271: The Most Dangerous Place is Not the Safest Place

How far would he run? Of course he would run as far as possible!

After escaping from Naberius' range, Ye Qingxuan's heart recovered. It no longer pounded crazily but he was still in bad state. In other words, he was pathetic.

There was a music score that was popular amongst dark musicians called the Devil's Murmur. It could vibrate the aether and create terrifying sounds that humans could not hear. The capillaries of all organisms would burst under that sound. The organs would be affected as well, going crazy until bursting. The organism would swell into a giant due to the bursting vessels while the innards would turn into messy paste.

Naberius' attack was no weaker than that; however, it was more specific. It worked directly on the sound of heart. Ye Qingxuan could not even fight back unless he was at the Resonance level. He was probably bleeding internally right now.

Other than the stimulant for his physical strength and the hemostatic agent, he also gulped down the recovery medicine Lola gave him as if he was drinking water. The side effect to all these drugs was that his mind became muddled. Now, it was as if he was drunk. He could no longer maintain the rational thinking he was so proud of.

In reality, the fact he could escape had nothing to do with his brain. It was actually because of the jacket that he had neglected and had gradually forgotten about—the Dungeon Gentleman. Created by Charles, this was not alchemy equipment and had average quality. It could only protect the critical locations.

Its essence though was Charles's kinetics masterpiece—the steel skeleton that fit closely to his body. After adding the chainsaw monk's technology to it, it provided ten times the amount of strength support than regular humans, making up for his fatal weakness. Here, it had saved his life.

He had no more strength, but thankfully, Naberius' sound of heart interference was ineffective against steel. He was able to crawl out of range with the help of the steel skeleton. It seemed that Charles was usually unreliable but could really save his life when needed.

Ye Qingxuan had never felt so grateful to Charles in his entire life. Charles's image in his mind now was an angel with a halo and two chicken wings.

Angel Charles…huh, it sounded pretty nice.

Having slow and wandering thoughts and difficulty concentrating was another side effect. Ye Qingxuan felt like he had taken some opium. He started hallucinating uncontrollably.

He swayed as he walked on the street in the fog, using the last bit of his sanity to avoid the wandering demons. He instinctively searched for a safe spot. Danger lurked at every spot on the road. Many times, he brushed past a terrifying aura. He hid in the darkness, not daring to find out what demons were there.

His steps finally came to a stop after some time. He finally realized that he had somehow run to the lakeside of midtown in Avalon's Shadow. He had run to the place his subconscious mind thought was the safest—the Royal Academy of Music.

-

"But where the f*ck is this?" The youth looked up under the heavy fog. He gazed at the slightly hidden building. It had a menacing silhouette and, hidden in the fog, it looked like a crouching beast.

The gates had been pushed open by some mysterious power. The surroundings looked like a battlefield. The ground was covered in corpses of demons, including strange creatures that terrified Ye Qingxuan. A trail of footprints led into what was supposed to be the academy.

Behind the walls of this place, rows of stakes rose toward the sky like a forest. Under the ghastly fog, they looked like ghosts restricting souls.

If Ye Qingxuan guessed correctly, this was not the Royal Academy of Music. It had not yet been established during King Arthur's reign centuries ago. But no one had ever said what it originally was.

Ye Qingxuan knew now. This was a prison!

Darkness oozed under the pale fog. Under the silence, Ye Qingxuan walked through the gates and saw the sinister buildings sleeping in the mist. He also saw dried blood on the ground, corpses abandoned after torture, unruly weeds, and various dilapidated scenes.

The uniformed jailers had long died and lay on the ground as skeletons. Their long swords were rusted and looked like warped snakes. Recently, this was also a demon's nest. But It was not anymore.

Now, they were deader than dead. Their pieces were scattered about, and blood covered every inch of the ground and walls. There seemed to have been a massacre.

So what the h*ll was this?

Ye Qingxuan was chilled to the bone. He really wanted to look up into the heavens and sigh. What was this? He had just gotten out of one danger, only to walk into another? He knew he was always unlucky, but this…was unprecedented.

His heart suddenly twitched and pain began to spread. Turning around in shock, he heard footsteps approach. That d*mn dark musician had actually caught up.

What had he used this time? He was able to put a tracker in Ye Qingxuan's heart without any sign, so he was probably able to follow without any traces as well. Faced with an old creature who had been stuck at the Resonance level for sixty years and had an unreasonable amount of experience, Ye Qingxuan was clueless no matter how clever he was. There was no time to hesitate.

Gritting his teeth, he ran into the ruins. Since he was going to die either way, why not choose the slowest death?

-

The ancient gates opened abruptly with sharp grating sounds. Dust flew up, falling onto the youth's white hair. Ye Qingxuan used all his power to close the gates. He leaned against it in exhaustion and looked up at the empty hall.

Scattered corpses lay under the strange and dim lantern light. Half was dust; half was blood. Half were decadent images that had been weathered for thousands of years. The other half was covered in blood from demons fighting.

The bones of the jailers who had died long ago were still sitting in their original positions. One could still faintly see their serious solemnity from yesteryear. The demons' corpses and blood were poured on them, adding a menacing color to them.

The dark eye sockets on these withered faces seemed to study the suddenly-appearing guest. It was as if they would rise and unsheathe their swords at any moment.

"What is this? Are you planning a Christmas party or something?" Ye Qingxuan stared back at them. "Want me to join? I have some new poker cards we can play with too."

No one replied.

The corpses obviously would not open their mouths to retort at them. They retained their original posture. They would shatter if he touched them.

Seeing this, Ye Qingxuan's tensed body relaxed a bit. He could not help but laugh. What was he thinking? Was he truly panicking? How could these dead things come back to life and kill him?

If that was the case, he should be overjoyed instead of afraid. Rebirth was a miracle that the School of Choir had been searching for for a millennium. It was a great proposition second only to the 'man in a beaker' from the School of Modifications.

Ye Qingxuan shook his head, chasing away the ridiculous thoughts. He must hurry. Sensing the Ripper's traces, he quickly followed it.

Along the way, everything was barren. There was no life at all. In the prison that had been turned into a school, all was in ruins.

He gazed around at the decadent scenes and felt more and more anxious. If this was a prison…what was kept here? After thousands of years, were the…weird things here still alive?

Extremely cautious, Ye Qingxuan pushed open the gate to the underground. Dust fell in clumps, dropping through his suddenly thinning figure onto the ground. He carefully raised his lantern and illuminated the darkness.

The dungeon was silent. The only sound was the dripping of water. He padded down the stairs and entered the darkness.

The jailer's dried corpse at the entrance fell down the steps. Its head bounced on the stone tile until it broke into three pieces. The empty eye sockets rolled into the darkness with the other shards.

The silence returned. There was no sound on either side of the cells. There was nothing there, other than the dust-covered chains and the bedrolls which had decayed to dust.

For some reason, Ye Qingxuan let out a relieved sigh. And then there was laughter in the darkness. Laughter…

Laughter came from the cell beside him.

Ye Qingxuan spun around.

And saw himself.

"Sir, I have sinned." In the cell, the white-haired boy in shackles gazed at the newcomer. His dirty face had a fawning expression. "I betrayed my mother's hopes and came back to Avalon."

"Sir, don't listen to him! I'm the sinner!" In another cell, a white-haired man yelled in fear, "I'm the one who had sinned! I betrayed the priest's discipline and did many unethical things!"

"Sir, I have sinned as well!" A frail old white-haired man in the cell up above poked his head back. His face still looked vaguely like Ye Qingxuan. He studied his younger self and cried, "I missed so many opportunities and wasted my entire life for a shallow excuse. I've accomplished nothing in my life."

"I was born a sinner, sir!" an angry white-haired youth pounded on the bars and yelled. "I was born locked up in this cell! I was destined to lead a painful and pitiful life!"

"I have sinned too! In order to return to Avalon, I purposely became closer to Wolf Flute, gained his trust…"

"I've sinned! I broke the Father's heart to follow my own ideas."

"No, I'm the sinner! I harbor sinister thoughts and keep my teacher and senior in the dark. I never tell them what I truly wish to do…"

"I took advantage of a little girl! That girl sees me as an elder brother!"

"I…have sinned!"

"Have sinned!"

"Sinned!!"

"Sinned!!!"

The quiet dungeon was filled with rising voices. The boy, youth, man, and old man behind the bars screamed hoarsely, pleaded fawningly, accused angrily, cried, yelled, shrieked, laughed…The sounds rose like waves, digging into Ye Qingxuan's heart, cutting apart his mind. He could barely breathe. It was as if he had been torn into thousands of pieces. They accused and denounced his crimes without talking.

Sinned, sinned, sinned, sinned…He was a great sinner with multiple crimes!

Sweat rolled down Ye Qingxuan's back as he began to pant. All that remained in the world was the angry and chaotic accusations, until finally—boom! A crisp sound shot out. The echoes from the instrument head resounded in his brain. They transformed into rolling thunder, dissipating the cacophony.

Everything returned to silence.

The cells in on either side were still silent and empty but Ye Qingxuan was somehow kneeling on the ground. The dagger that had been in his boot was now pressed to his chest. It nicked at the flesh with a cold stinging pain.

Freaked out, Ye Qingxuan threw the dagger away. Looking down at the faint wound on his chest, he seemed to feel the pain of piercing his heart. "What is this…"

This time, he felt goosebumps as he looked at the empty cells. There was a strange atmosphere everywhere. Each inch of air was filled to the max with the thick negativity. Darkness surged. Burned. A hoarse moan sounded deep in the darkness.

Ye Qingxuan's head shot up. There was a figure shackled with layers of chains in the burning darkness. The figure emanated a wild aura. The demonic twisted silhouette was hidden behind a veil. The golden hair was dyed red and dust covered the white dress.

Ye Qingxuan could vaguely see her eyes behind the red veil. There was endless darkness and wildness in those eyes, as well as sulfur and burning firelight. It was like a dragon at the brink of death—the Ripper.

-

Ye Qingxuan's body tensed instantly. He finally understood how those demons outside had died… Like him, they had probably been affected by the Ripper's wild aura and fell into frenzy. Had the Ripper lost control again?

Ye Qingxuan scared himself with the sudden thought. However, nothing changed in the Ripper's eyes after he waited and held his breath for a while. They were still empty and unfocused, filled with chaos and craze. Even when the gaze fell on him, it was as if the Ripper was looking at grass. There was no sign of perception.

Ye Qingxuan stared at the Ripper silently. After a while, his gaze moved to the shackles and it finally dawned on him. All those handcuffs and shackles were probably put on by the Ripper herself, right?

She knew that she was going to lose control so she came here, closed all the doors, and restrained herself here with the chains. Along the way, the affected demons could not withstand the craze. Going wild, they killed each other. This all came from the terrifying aura she emanated subconsciously.

Ye Qingxuan would have dug out his own heart and died in this dark dungeon if he did not have Jiu Xiao Huan Pei. Compared to the terrifying aura, the Ripper's own strength was extremely weak. She was as weak as a candle in the wind. She seemed to be burning herself up and venting out this strength.

Thinking of something, Ye Qingxuan held his breath and looked into the unclear darkness. Moonlight lit up in his eyes.

Under the moonlight's glow, the darkness finally grew clearer and he could see what was hiding deep in it—it was the Eyes Within the Eye, the evil within evil. This was a mark of Satan!

The mark of the satanic eye was carved onto the Ripper's chest as if drawn with blood. It was embedded in the flesh, engraved in there. A dark and crazed aura flowed from it endlessly, eroding the Ripper's body. This was the curse of Hyakume. The mark was where Hyakume's gaze was focused. He had put the Ripper in his eyes and reflected his power from the abyss into her body. This meant that the Ripper was being transformed into a demon every second of the day. Her original wild power was also rebelling against this process.

The two powers used the Ripper's body as a battlefield to fight to death. There seemed to be an invisible ax in their path. Blood spurted out but the wounds quickly healed, only to be torn apart under another battle.

Bending down, Ye Qingxuan looked at the puddle of blood that had turned into a stream. The Ripper had probably been stuck in this torture for days.

He slowly approached.

"Presumptuous!"

When he was only a step away, a sharp crack suddenly appeared under his feet. Pebbles flew up and shot at Ye Qingxuan's face. The Ripper screamed as if she had either woken or was trapped in a nightmare. She raised her eyes but emotions battled in her crazed eyes.

She was looking at Ye Qingxuan but it was as if she was looking at something horrible. She murmured in panic, "Dirty, it's dirty…it's all dirty…"

Looking at her eyes, Ye Qingxuan felt as if he saw faces hidden in the darkness. He could not find a focal point. There seemed be thousands of people. And it was the ancient lingua franca…

Had she been possessed by King Arthur? Turning into a psychotic killer after being possessed by King Arthur. This was an unfunny joke.

"Calm down." Ye Qingxuan raised his hands. "I don't mean harm. Maybe I can help you. We don't have much time."

"It's you! Mordred." The Ripper stared at him from behind the shackles, though her eyes were unfocused. Her voice was hoarse and wild. "Why do you not kneel before me? You're clingy and linger…you b*stard can never be shaken away, I know! I know! I should've killed you long ago! No, you're already dead Mordred, you're already dead…Merlin? What is Merlin doing now?!" The Ripper yelled as she convulsed, "Traitor! You group of traitors! Guinevere, Percival, and that creature Merlin, you all want to betray me!"

Ye Qingxuan suddenly heard metal grating. The chained Ripper suddenly jumped forward to rip him apart but was stuck in midair, restricted by the shackles. The strength cast forward scraped Ye Qingxuan's cheek, leaving behind a bloody mark. Blood flowed down his face and joined the bloody stream on the ground.

He stumbled back in the silence. His heart had started convulsing painfully again. Looking back in shock, he heard footsteps approaching from outside the dungeon door. That f*cking dark musician had caught up again…

"My friend! Where are you?" Naberius' voice resounded amongst the ruins and neared. His tone was filled with anticipation. "Escaping can't solve any problems. How much longer are you going to hide for? Are you testing my sincerity? Please be rest assured. My enthusiasm will melt your cold heart!"

"Are you crazy?!" Ye Qingxuan thought. If possible, he really wanted to slap that question on Naberius' face. That man seemed determined to force Ye Qingxuan into becoming a dark musician and make headlines.

But why?! How come everyone was crazy these days? There was a crazy dark musician outside the door and a crazy Ripper inside the door. The entire Avalon's Shadow was crazy.

"This is a disease. They need treatment." Ye Qingxuan clenched his jaw and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. Finally deciding, he muttered, "Friends, you all need treatment!"

-

"Mr. Holmes? Why must you reject my enthusiasm? Can't you see my sincerity?" Under the fog of the ruined square outside the dungeon, Naberius paced and gazed around. His smile was filled with warmth.

Every few meters, the dirt of the ruins would rumble and a corpse would climb out to show him the direction Ye Qingxuan had gone in. He gradually walked straight to the youth's location.

In the end, he stood outside the dungeon and gazed happily at Ye Qingxuan's hiding spot. "Did my enthusiasm make you shy? That's understandable! Understandable! Chasing so bluntly is truly impolite. You must feel embarrassed, right?"

The fog was silent. No one replied.

Naberius seemed to hear the youth's curse and he opened his arms cheerfully. "So you have nowhere to run now, huh? Why are you insisting on your prejudice? Why don't we hold hands and walk toward the beautiful future together? Come, I can play a waltz and we can dance together with this beautiful melody!"

The instrument pounding like a heart in his hand gradually swelled and distorted, transforming into something like a French horn. Holding the odd instrument, he announced enthusiastically, "Next, please enjoy the musical piece brought to you by Naberius—The Danube River of Blood!"

An eerie breeze abruptly rose in the stillness. The French horn began playing energetically. At first, the sound was delicate. There was a tinge of bloodiness in the aura that spread in all directions.

Gentle and strange, the melody sounded like the murmurs of lost souls. Then the horn suddenly jolted. It crescendoed and a melody flowed from thin air like a river. The music notes resounded as countless notes overlapped, shot out, and transformed into the graceful and gentle melody.

This music score required dozens of musicians to play in coherence. However, the power gifted by Hyakume seemed to give Naberius hundreds of hands. The hundreds of fingers on each hand played the layered tune. One could not resist the urge to walk forward and dance to the melody. However, the melody was incomparably eerie. It was like skeletons hugging and dancing together in the cemetery. It was like embracing death.

This was not the original Resonance level score. This was a dark melody modified by dark musicians. The witches and followers at the ritual would embrace each other, perform intercourse, dance with skeletons, and offer themselves to the glorious lord under this melody.

The fog had been forcefully scattered by this intensifying melody. Immediately after, a blood-red river trickled out of thin air. This was not the Blood Path—it was the Danube River that had been dyed red by skeletons, corpses, and death! Everything covered by the river was isolated by the world. This place had already been turned into a demonic abyss!

The melody ravaged the souls of all living organisms, snatching away their reason, dragging them into the dark territory. The bloody river tossed violently. Countless illusionary figures walked out, dancing to the melody.

Naberius bowed slightly and reached out a hand. A hand gloved in white lace reached out from the bloody river and rested on his hand. He stepped back and a girl dressed in a pure white veil was led out. Her figure was enchanting yet pure, like a girl attending a wedding. However, the girl was clearly a rotting skeleton. Even the wilted flower crown could not return youth to the ugly face.

With a happy and strange smile, she walked into Naberius' arms. She held his hand and began dancing. This was the spirit hidden in this music score—the spirit of the dark music.

The overture finally ended with her appearance. The river of blood surged in all directions and flooded into the dungeon, swallowing everything in its path.

Countless skeleton girls in veils climbed out. They enthusiastically yet gently 'welcomed' all living things into the dance of death!

"You're still hiding?" Naberius asked hoarsely amidst the eerie dance. "Mr. Holmes, are you really allowing me to do whatever I want? Your kindness makes me feel guilty." The melody suddenly intensified and crescendoed. Naberius laughed loudly and sang along with the song.

"Ah, ah, you worry so much. You're young and beautiful, gentle and kind. You're like a piece of gold shining in the mine. True love awakens here beside the Danube River, beside the beautiful Danube River of blood!"

Boom! The bloody river jolted, interrupting Naberius' song. His expression changed drastically, and he turned toward the river. A crack had appeared within the water. It looked like a claw that was frantically tearing the river apart. The waves surged but were unable to heal the scratch. It was sharp as a blade with pure and solid murderous intent. It was like the furious roar of a dragon who was about to die.

The Firebird?!

Naberius froze. Who…

The youth's hoarse voice came from the darkness, "Thank you for the waltz, my friend." He laughed with inexplicable cheer. "Sadly, I already have a dance partner."

Sharp murderous aura flooded into the darkness. The veiled girls who had climbed out of the blood river were shattered to pieces. They were all in ruins!

"The Ripper…"

-

Fresh blood flowed in the dark dungeon. Under the layers of chains, the wound-covered youth embraced the Ripper. The formless but tangible murderous intent solidified into an ax that fell upon him. His layers of shields counteracted them so he was not torn to shreds. He only suffered ghastly wounds.

The immense pain rose in waves. Now, he finally understood the pain that the Ripper suffered at every moment. The little defense equipment that he had stolen from the dark musicians was unable to protect him against the Ripper's heavy murderous aura.

She had not activated it yet, but it already felt like thousands of knives. He would have died long ago if he did not have the lifesaving hat. The music score Holy had maintained his minimum lifeforce.

Bearing the pain, he looked down at the Ripper. He could not see her face clearly but the eyes behind the bloody veil were wild yet hollow. She seemed to be trapped in a nightmare.

"I don't know who you are but it doesn't feel good to be controlled by either King Arthur or Hyakume, right?" Ye Qingxuan murmured. "It's useless to just bear the abuse. You must fight back to receive freedom!" He paused as the eerie waltz played on. He squeezed a smile onto his painfully twitching face. "The waltz has already started. Don't let the guests wait for too long."

Ye Qingxuan reached out and grasped her cold wrist, murmuring in her ear, "Dance with me, crazy killer lady!"

-

Above the rippling Danube River of blood and within layers of chains, Ye Qingxuan gripped her hand and guided her to take the first step. The surging murderous aura shot in all directions. It disrupted the river, tearing the bloody brides into pieces.

Half of Ye Qingxuan's body was covered in wounds as well during this attack. Blood rolled down his face but he did not stop. Ye Qingxuan guided her to step to the rhythm of this eerie and strange melody, twirling gently. The moonlight in his eyes illuminated.

"Let me see what you're hiding inside!" Coherence began instantly with the moonlight as a bridge!

If Lola was here, she would definitely slap him for not caring about his life. Coherence for the School of Mind was the most dangerous of all schools. This represented the clashing and assimilation of two minds. If their strength was too different, he would be destroyed if he relaxed for a second. The terrifying emotion was contagious as well. He would definitely be influenced if he underwent coherence with someone as crazed as the Ripper. This meant that there were now two maniacs.

Unfortunately, this was not the first time Ye Qingxuan flirted with death. In fact, as for going crazy…He had never been this calm since he decided to return to Avalon. How could he be normal if he wanted to overturn the verdict for humanity's number one traitor?

He instantly passed into the Ripper's damaged heart and entered her mind. He was at once practically brought to his knees by the tidal wave of negativity.

Nope, there was no hope. Even someone as determined as Ye Qingxuan suddenly had the urge to give up. The Ripper seriously had no hope.

The moonlight guarded his mind, allowing him to see the Ripper's current situation clearly. Right now, there was a large consciousness spreading quickly in her. It was a negative emotion that was as bottomless as the sea. This was the curse of Hyakume—anger, fear, jealousy, greed, brashness, cowardice…every negative feeling known to man appeared continuously.

The Ripper was powerless. Her mind was already at the brink of cracking. Now she had completely lost control under the erosion of the negativity. Some power gradually awakened and appeared. Now, it was too large to control. She could only vent out the anger in vain.

Ye Qingxuan was frustrated. Was she really possessed by King Arthur? What terrible thing had she done to fall to this state? What was this constantly swelling power? It was obviously a curse!

Now, they were entangled and could not be separated! It was as if a mentally ill patient on the brink of schizophrenia suddenly had another even more debilitating disease. Adding madness to madness and a disease to a disease!

Hyakume was not the strongest. Ye Qingxuan could casually extinguish any bit of it. The scary part though was that it would reappear just as fast. It had no true form or core that could be attacked. The thousands of negative feelings rose in waves, forming dark chaos. It was just chaos.

Even if a shred remained, it could instantly come back to life. Now, the chaos had polluted more than sixty percent of her mind. This meant that it was going to succeed. The patient was beyond saving!

Seeing this situation, Ye Qingxuan had a migraine. He could not help it. At this point, it would require a true miracle. No medicine could help. Furthermore, if he rushed in with his consciousness, he would be attacked by both sides. The best case scenario would be to be assimilated by one of them.

At that time, he would be worse off than becoming a dark musician. He would be completely obliterated!

His features twitched; his expression was troubled and ugly. It was not that he did not want to help her. It was just that nothing could save her at this point.

Unless the Ripper woke up by herself and truly grasped her power. But was that possible? She would not lose control and run to kill people at the Whitechapel Church if that was possible. So there was only one solution.

"I'm sorry." Ye Qingxuan sighed. "I'm not an official psychologist. I only learned some random music theory from the School of Mind. You're unlucky for being stuck with me."

The youth had opened his eyes again after a second.

"Clench your jaw!" He glanced at the dull girl before him and punched her forehead suddenly. "Let's try the trick of fighting fire with fire!"

Boom!

In a twinkling, Ye Qingxuan blacked out. Then the crazy dark melody sounded in the minds of the two like a chorus of hundreds of people. The image of the black river, emerging from Ye Qingxuan's heart, rushed into her brain.

It was the river of darkness that had been absorbing the guilt and negativity of countless people. At this moment, it was like a waterfall. Flowing with the plaintive melody and rhythm, it rushed into the battlefield of two emotions.

This was the strange movement Black Friday. It was not sinister but it was more powerful than that.

Having not fully played this movement for a long time, the black river of sighs had reached to a scale much larger than Ye Qingxuan's expectations.

In a second, the river came crashing down. It did not help strengthen the Ripper's own will, but it melted into the curse of Hyakume! The river already contained immense darkness. Now, it suddenly joined the negative emotions so that the original slowly eroding curse was immediately strengthened!

No, its power was more than just strengthened. It soared with Ye Qingxuan's aid. In a twinkling, the Ripper's positive emotions were pressed down but the negative emotions flourished as if fuel was added to the fire. In the blink of an eye, the Ripper's will was at stake…

Good, good! Ye Qingxuan seemed to have forgotten his stance and practically danced as he felt the inflation of negative emotions. He wished it would continue to rise.

Soon, the curse of Hyakume prevailed. But then a faint fury came from the evil-eye seal which was contained in the curse. This rage was against Ye Qingxuan, the uninvited visitor. It did not welcome him at all. If it could speak, it was probably saying, "What the hell are you doing here, b*stard?"

Indeed, its power soared, but the chaos created by the negative emotions was broken! The negative emotions that came with the death were now out of the music theory's control. If they were a rigorous and orderly team on the battlefield, then at this moment, even though the forces at the frontline were strengthened, the formations were destroyed. Its original subtlety and complexity no longer remained. It had become deformed.

Ye Qingxuan forged the black river into the 'wrath.' The Ripper was already invaded by this rage. Now her power grew to several times the original. Fortunately, there was a very good outlet: the Danube River of Blood.

Under Ye Qingxuan's skillful guidance, all the murderous intent was thrown at Naberius, who was far away in the dungeon. During the gentle maneuver of the dance, the vacant-eyed Ripper suddenly looked up and growled hoarsely.

Under her roar, countless hands waved in the burning darkness, tearing the Danube River into pieces inch by inch until it was a broken mess.

A storm rose above the calm scarlet river. Ye Qingxuan did not wait for the mad curse to act. He manipulated the black river's direction in the Ripper's brain. This time, it was 'disgust'.

The 'disgust', which was so strong by nature, suddenly occupied the subject of the curse. The Ripper's eyes turned blood-red. They stared at Ye Qingxuan. A cloud of blood mist burst around Ye Qingxuan, but he still smiled. He embraced and spun her to the mournful music, again and again…

Come, let us dance on the Danube River of Blood!

Outside the dungeon, the instrument in Naberius' hand suddenly burst. Even half of his body exploded bloodily. In a blink of the eye, the flesh and bones were healed again. However, the tame corpse bride in his arms now attacked him frantically. Her spirituality was out of control.

The original love and sweetness had now been replaced by disgust. It was as if there was a real aversion that was eroding every summoned object. The apparitions embracing and dancing on the blood river were now killing each other. It was the backlash of the music theory. Naberius' eyes suddenly burst, leaving only two dark holes. The eyeballs grew back quickly again. This time, his eyes were solemn.

"You always surprise people, Mr. Holmes." Naberius sighed softly. "Since it is so…I'm sorry, but I won't show anymore mercy."

Under the crazy waltz, one could hear the sound of bones growing. A giant sarcoma swelled on his shoulders and immediately burst. A new skull grew on his head amidst the splashing of the disgusting sticky mucus! Two heads!

One head sang the melody of the Danube River. The new head, with a strange smile, soon began to chant another movement. This was not the power of Hyakume anymore! It was the gift from another notorious demon—the Eastern natural catastrophe Sukuna!

"Thankfully, I've saved some stuff from the past seventy years," Naberius laughed. Over the past seventy years, he had the time to quietly do many crazy things. This included using six names and identities to sign contracts with six natural catastrophes.

From the ignorant Tide of Silver to the two-headed Sakuna. If he still could not break through the Resonance level after this, he was almost ready to reinvent himself and try to sign a contract with the god of humans.

It was just selling himself, right?

It was all the same.

Now, his one heads guarded the Danube River's territory while the other chanted the movement of Modifications, throwing the wind and fire of destruction into the dungeon. In an instant, the movement of destruction turned into a mighty torrent, rushing toward the two in the dungeon!

At the same time, the curse of Hyakume suddenly struck back. Ye Qingxuan and the Ripper were suddenly besieged from both inside and out.

Ye Qingxuan closed his eyes. He controlled the Black River continuously to switch between all the negative emotions, breaking the balance again and again.

Perhaps the Ripper had the instinctive awareness of imminent danger. She somehow gave a reaction and began to subconsciously cooperate with Ye Qingxian's actions. Her stiff body gradually softened. She even cooperated with the performance of the waltz.

Ye Qingxuan stared at the blank eyes behind the veil. She seemed to be drifting in the space between nightmare and reality. Holding Ye Qingxuan' hand, her hand subconsciously tightened.

"Mom…" She seemed to be talking in her sleep.

Ye Qingxuan was stunned for a moment. He whispered in her ear, "Don't be afraid, the nightmare is about to end."

The Black River came crashing down in the coherence. In a twinkling, after repressing the counterattack of the curse, Ye Qingxuan guided the sudden outbreak of 'pain' and 'weakness,' locking them into Naberius' body. The frenzied power surged again.

The blue fire that could evaporate people dozens of meters away suddenly cracked apart. This was completely unreasonable. The Firebird solidified and reached a 'distortion level ' effect. This disobeyed the law. It turned the illusionary flames into powder, which was then blown out by the wind.

The storm, blizzard, raging fire and golden steel were crushed once they rushed into the dungeon. The repercussive waves of murderous intent spread out the dungeon and along the connection of their music theory association, biting Naberius' right arm into pieces.

Naberius shook his hands but the arm was still fragmented. Bones fell out of the wound. He froze for a moment. "Oh, it's the Firebird." Then he held his fingers tightly like a knife and cut off the whole arm.

Sticky medium quickly emerged from the severed arm, followed by the rapid multiplication of bones and flesh. The super recovery of severed limbs was another means used by demons.

Six kinds of demonic power were sealed in six of his body parts. They appeared orderly one by one. Six sets of chaotic music theory were in orderly in his hands, without the slightest hint of the chaos caused by musical conflict.

"Now it seems that Hyakume's curse is too weak," he muttered in a low voice, cynically mocking his own gods. He said to himself, "If you don't do it again, don't blame me for running away."

If Hyakume heard him, he would be furious. He would release a bolt of thunder and chop this wild follower to death. However, his rebellious words did not reach the heavens. In fact, the curse of the Hyakume was not in vain. The battle was now burning white-hot.

Provoked by Ye Qingxuan, the curse of Hyakume strangely changed again like mutating virus. The mark of the Eyes Within the Eye split into a dozen pieces. They manipulated their respective negative emotions. They echoed with each other, setting off a sinister symphony in the Ripper's body.

In a twinkling, the declining stopped and steadied itself at the brink of collapse, fighting back once again. The battle had now quietly switched from the competition of strength to the aspect of music theory.

The music theory contained in the curse had quietly expanded. It seemed to be disorderly but there was actually some kind of inexplicable connection. There was a subtle rhythm to the movement.

That subtle force was like weeds in spring wind. It expanded, deflated, sped up, and slowed down at random. Like thousands of malicious intents working together, they firmly suppressed the Ripper's will!

Ye Qingxuan was stunned. He expanded the Black River's image to entwine with the curse. For a moment, Ye Qingxuan's will pierced through layers of music theory and probed the core of the curse—it was an eye that seemed to be sleeping in the abyss.

The eye seemed to glance at him as well. It was full of malice. Just the periphery vision could easily break down the Black River.

The music theory entangled. In this instantaneous contact, Ye Qingxuan was defeated completely. It was unsurprising. It would be strange if he won.

Whether it was the attainments of the School of Mind's music theory or the control of negative emotions, Ye Qingxuan was nothing compared to Hyakume

As the ruler of all the wicked evil spirits of the world, Hyakume had eroded and transformed countless black musicians through the years. Whether it was music theory confrontation or emotional hedging, Ye Qingxuan was definitely not his opponent.

Ye Qingxuan was suddenly losing…But it did not matter! He could learn.

As one who had received full marks in every subject and won first place in written examinations, Ye Qingxuan was the best at 'learning!' The main battlefield was not in his own body, anyway, so he could just start over again if he could not do it.

'The tiger retains its shape even in death,''a broken boat has three pounds of nails,''a starved camel is still bigger than a horse'…There were many proverbs like this from the East. They meant the same thing.

Now, the curse not only had to fully erode the Ripper, it also had to be cautious of Ye Qingxuan. He could cause trouble at any second. In a twinkling, Ye Qingxuan prepared himself again. The black river sprang out again, followed by another defeat.

Ye Qingxuan's head seemed to be smashed by a staff. He blacked out immediately and blood oozed out of his nostril.

Shaking his head, he gritted his teeth and went back into the battle again.

"Again!" This time, he at least found the right feeling and method.

A shameless song sounded on the battlefield amidst the repeated defeats and charges. "Make, make, make a friend, make a good friend. Hello, let's shake hands. Now you're my good friend…"

In an instant, Ye Qingxuan had lost completely. A saying amongst Indian monks was, "One snap contains twenty instants, one instant contains twenty thoughts, one thought contains ninety moments, and one moment contains nine-million lives and deaths."

During the nine million lives and deaths of that moment, countless thoughts and emotions arose. Music theory overlapped messily, and Ye Qingxuan was hit hundreds of times. Every time he gathered himself again, he was completely obliterated by the curse.

During this process, he gradually created an understanding of the black river. The various negative emotions had clear layers and were integrated. The hundreds upon thousands of negative emotions gradually became one. As they were destroyed and reborn, they formed the black river.

Extra notes and unsuitable music theory were taken out. After nine rebirths, the black river became clearer than ever. It was colorless and formless. Ye Qingxuan could barely trace it.

In the East, Mind musicians would plant demonic thoughts into other's minds. An extremely high level was 'free transformation.' This seed came and left without warning, like the spring wind transforming into rain. The victim would be transformed into a puppet without any realization or sign. Now, Ye Qingxuan could survive a few seconds of the battle between music theories.

The mark of the demonic eye seemed to understand something and grew furious! This *sshole was secretly copying its ways! No School of Mind musician had ever tried these tricks!

The mark was a music note that represented godly power but it was still an object created by Hyakume. The average man would either struggle painfully and transform into a demon or commit suicide to avoid the pain. No one was so bold and reckless!

Ye Qingxuan's constant challenges angered the consciousness sleeping inside the rune. It jolted and separated into nine. It had given up on the Ripper and now charged at Ye Qingxuan against the tide!

"Finally!" Ye Qingxuan grinned. The colorless river in his heart surged again. This time, it was broken down, of course. However, it did not retreat after collapsing. Instead, it entangled with the music theory of the curse. The next step would be for the curse to use this as a springboard and jump into Ye Qingxuan's body. However, there was no next step.

The colorless river suddenly caved in. The broken music theory reconnected and transformed into something else. The new theory swallowed Hyakume's. Covering the nine satanic runes, it finally revealed itself.

Moonlight! It was moonlight!

A huge moon that covered the sky rose in the Ripper's heart. It broke through the endless darkness. Everything in its path was purified equally. The black river was washed away and a bright moon rose in the heart! It had finally transformed into moonlight!

This was what was born after Black Friday washed away all stray thoughts and grew to its peak—the image of Moonlight that Ye Lanzhou had planted! It had not yet reached the terrifying level of the 'moon above the sea,' but it showed signs of that phenomenon.

Ye Qingxuan had to thank Hyakume's curse to some extent. He had always focused on unorthodox and shady tricks. Not only did the curse teach him the basics, it also contained various application techniques for mind battles. It was practically like the old man who taught secret tricks in adventure novels. Now, the 'old man' did not need to exist anymore.

The mark of the eye was washed countless times under the moonlight. All satanic auras melted. A consciousness thousands of miles away felt something. Fury shot out from the deep abyss with bone-numbing hatred and evil. Roars spread from the music theory.

"Ye Lanzhou, you're here!"

Then the wild power spun. It surged from thousands of miles away using the entangled music theory, wanting to destroy everything. However, the moonlight cut the eye mark completely like a blade at that moment.

The twisted mark shattered and the layers of negativity disappeared. The curse was completely destroyed. As the connection of music theory broke, the power that had come out of nowhere vanished as well.

Angry roars sounded angrily in the air. The fury scattered in all directions. In an instant, countless people across the land woke up from their nightmares with sweat rolling down their backs.

At the same time, Naberius, observing outside the dungeon, felt Hayakume's aura disappear completely. He flinched and shock appeared on the two skulls.

"Is the curse really lifted?"

The darkness that had been restricted now shot forward like a fountain. The burning darkness surged and broke into the territory of Naberius' bloody Danube River. His vision went black and he stumbled back.

The almost-tangible murderous intent had transformed into a cyclone. His face hurt from the wind. The Ripper's power was awakening.

"Mr. Holmes, it seems that you'd rather work with the Ripper than accept my feelings?" Naberius stared into the dark dungeon and shook his head. "I'm so disappointed. I'm so hurt." Despite his words, he left without hesitation. He had stayed here for too long. There was no point in remaining. He might even attract a creature of the same level. The consequences were unimaginable.

He was just running errands for Hyakume, not giving up his life! So what if he could not deal with Holmes this time? He would wait for the youth to be alone. Why must he fight something as strange as the Ripper?

"See you next time, Mr. Holmes," he chuckled. The ground beneath his feet rumbled. A giant snake opened its mouth and swallowed him. Then the snake returned into the mud and disappeared.

In the distance, the Elizabeth Tower remained standing. When the three hands of the clock joined at the top, an eerie bell rang. It resounded in the again-silent city.

Midnight had arrived.

-

In the dungeon, the surging dark aura disappeared quickly. Naberius thought that the Ripper had recovered her original state. Actually, she was completely spent after Ye Qingxuan's cure of sacrificing themselves to destroy the enemy.

Sensing that the animosity was gone, she closed her eyes and fell unconscious. Ye Qingxuan sat down. There was no part of his body that did not hurt. Thankfully, he still had many lifesaving medicines that he had swiped from Lola. After all, Lola had money and taking all the drugs was just like Lola drinking his blood.

But now…what was he supposed to do?

He looked down at the girl sleeping beside him. The Ripper…he could not connect the crazy psychotic killer with this girl. They were too different.

Possessed by her uncontrollable power, the darkness in her heart had been enlarged continuously. If she woke up now, she would realize that her long dress had been dyed red by blood. She would wake up from a nap to find herself dyed red by the blood of innocent victims. This nightmare had haunted her day and night. Was she still in a nightmare now?

Ye Qingxuan tidied the messy hair on her forehead. His fingertip accidentally grazed her skin. Soft crying sounded in his ears. This was the side effect of coherence.

He sighed and laid his jacket on her. He could see the seemingly familiar and beautiful face behind the torn veil. There were tear stains by her eyes. The coldness and arrogance were gone. All that remained was fragility and loneliness.

Stunned, Ye Qingxuan lightly brushed a teardrop away. "Princess Mary, you're so weak," he murmured. "The curse has been lifted. Dream well."

After a long while, the youth walked out of the dungeon and closed the door for the sleeping princess. He disappeared in the mist.

-

When the midnight bell rang, all the clocks and watches in the clock shop rang in unison. The man gorging before the window finally stopped. He sucked on the sauce on his fingers, enjoying the aftertaste of the stewed pork he had just eaten, and moaned happily. He had probably gained ten pounds but who cared? Hermes did not.

Now, he was nothing like the frail and eerily beautiful boy from a few months ago. After growing ten centimeters taller, he had also gained at least thirty pounds. It seemed…he had aged a lot. He was a twenty-something man now…uh, a fat man.

It was not a problem that he could no longer wear his old clothes. The best tailors visited every day to measure him and make customized clothes.

After loosening his belt, he realized that he could keep eating so he happily rang the bell beside him. The servant quickly sprinted away. Ten minutes later, another hot and steaming feast was brought over. He could eat another meal. How great!

"Bai Xi, want some midnight snacks?" He glanced at the girl sitting behind the counter.

Bai Xi raised her head and glanced at him. "No need. Teacher, please enjoy your food. I hope you die of obesity soon."

"Youths shouldn't be picky eaters!" Hermes's smile seemed more honest after he became fat. "You're still growing. What if you lack nutrients and grow up like a stick? You won't even get married."

A dagger suddenly landed on the table, cutting him off. His expression grew helpless. Hitting his forehead, he nodded and said, "Since we have time, why don't I give you a history lesson?" Without waiting for Bai Xi's reply, he went with his own ideas and said, "Bai Xi, did you know that King Arthur actually passed down his lineage?"

"King Arthur actually passed down his lineage…"

"No sh*t." Bai Xi glared at him. "Otherwise, wouldn't the current royal family be adopted?"

"I'm not talking about the regular lineage. It's something more dangerous—even more dangerous and strange than the Eastern Deva's blood." Hermes glanced back at her. "You don't think only Eastern musicians have bloodline inheritance right? Western musicians don't strive for intangible experience, inspiration, and talent. They like more direct things, more direct power…including our King Arthur."

Bai Xi froze. She asked, "Don't the legends say he's a demigod?"

"A demigod? Oh, that's not entirely wrong." Hermes nodded. "Back in the day, he received the status of a god as a mortal. He forcefully instilled power above his level into his body and turned himself into a…non-human and non-demon 'demigod.' The people of Anglo say he has the red dragon's blood because his blood is boiling, scalding, crazy, and inhuman.

"It's the almighty Holy Grail that the Maiden of the Lake blessed upon him. He wanted power so his blood gave him power. He wanted more so his blood gave him more. At the same it, it cursed him, causing him to be restricted to his madness for life.

"Near the end of his life, he became greedy and insatiable. He wanted more and more power, but that only brought more and more curses. The bigger the curse was, the more power he needed to contain it. This was a vicious cycle caused by greed. The result was that he began going crazy." Hermes savored the taste in his mouth and squinted as he recalled the past.

"Within ten short years, the glorious days were gone forever. The blood from Avalon had flowed into a river. The heads chopped off had been piled into a tower. The dead added their anger into the aether that wrapped around the crazy king's 'scepter.' Avalon had transformed into a city of demons.

"Ten years ago, the city was perfect as heaven. Ten years later, it had fallen to Hell…this was how Avalon's Shadow came to be. The greed from a thousand years ago resulted in endless disasters."

Bai Xi said, "But King Arthur is already dead."

"Hopefully, but he still has many descendants, doesn't he?" Hermes glanced at the night outside the window. The Elizabeth Tower below the palace extended into the sky like a hand reaching up. "This is the cursed blood." He lowered his eyes. "The power and curse are all in the blood and passed down the generations. This is the original sin they're born with and destined to live with for eternity. There is no cure."

-

Late at night, an unmarked carriage appeared at the highest point of Avalon, outside the palace. The driver was a knight covered entirely in armor. With his guidance, the carriage silently passed through the checkpoint without anyone noticing. A weathered elevator was behind the checkpoint. The brass had turned smooth from years of friction. It had a gentle brassy shine.

The carriage stopped on it and the elevator was activated, pulling the carriage up. This was the only way to the top level of Avalon. When the carriage stopped on the square before the palace, the knight walked down. He opened the door and an old priest walked out.

"Father Mephistopheles, please follow me." The knight pulled down the helmet, revealing a panicking girl. "We don't have much time."

Mephistopheles nodded and followed her. "How is the Princess? Are you sure it's Hyakume's curse?"

"…Yes." Christine lowered her head. "It is my fault. I didn't even notice Her Highness was cursed."

"You can't approach when the dragon blood is out of control. This is not your fault." Mephistopheles sighed. "If the disease of the dragon blood acts at the same time as Hyakume's curse… Her Highness is most likely much tormented. Unfortunately, St. George's spear was lost years ago. Otherwise, this would not happen."

Eyes filled with pain, Christine lead the way quietly. Soon, a white-faced servant hurried over. "Ga—Galahad, Her Highness, Her Highness…" She froze halfway through and murmured something in Christine's ear.

Christine's expression changed drastically. "Why didn't you stop her?!"

"Her Highness…she said she's going to lose control and was scared she'd do something she wouldn't be able to take back."

"B*stard!" Christine glared at her. "How can Her Highness go into that place again in her state? This is different from before! If you can't stop her, shouldn't you notify me? When did she leave?"

"Her Highness knocked me unconscious as soon as you left." The servant lowered her head as her shoulder trembled.

"Excuse me." Christine bid farewell to the old man without bowing. "I will go find the Princess right now." With that, she put on her helmet, gripped the sword at her waist, and rushed into the palace.

Behind her, Mephistopheles suddenly called, "Sir Galahad." He looked up with muddled eyes. "Please do not be anxious. I can still feel Her Highness's sound of heart. She…she has returned already."

"She returned?" Thinking of something, Christine gripped her sword. Her expression grew grave.

Sensing her thoughts, Mephistopheles shook his head. "It's not as you think. Her Highness did not lose control. According to my perception, her curse has been lifted."

"Lifted?" Christine froze.

Mephistopheles fell silent. Sensing something, he nodded after a pause. "Yes, I can sense that Her Highness is still very weak but Hyakume's curse has undoubtedly been lifted. Even the frantic dragon blood has been calmed. It seems that Her Highness is loved by God. I am not needed anymore." He smiled, signaling for Christine to relax. She quickly processed everything.

Without bidding farewell, she charged into the princess's chamber. Her footsteps broke the stillness of night. Without caring for manners, she pushed open the bedchamber door. "Your Highness!"

The room was not the mess she had expected. Everything was orderly and undamaged. Hearing the door open, the girl standing before the window looked back. She was still wearing the dress that had turned black from dust. Her face was covered with dirt and looked nothing like a princess. The ragged leather jacket on her shoulders was ripped and burnt, making her look especially like a trash collector girl.

But this time, she had not lost her sanity. Seeing the intruder, she smiled. "Christine."

Christine gaped at Mary's smile, unable to react for a long time. She did not know what happened but the princess did not look like she was cursed. In fact, she had not smiled so calmly ever since her bloodline had awoken.

"Your Highness, are you alright?" Christine squeezed her sword handle. It felt like she was dreaming.

"I am well." The leather jacket was too strange and big for Mary but she wore it as if it was a luxurious wing. Her expression was calm and serene. "I think I had a good dream," she said. "I feel much more relaxed."

Christine studied her for a long time before finally relaxing. "Has the curse been lifted?"

Mary nodded. She showed Christine the wound on her hand. When she cut herself, warm blood dripped out. It was neither hot nor wild. There was nothing abnormal.

"Look, even the dragon blood is sleeping again. This time, I can remain clear headed for a few months."

Sensing the bitterness in Mary's words, Christine looked down. Unable to reply, she just took out the bandages and medicine and skillfully bandaged the wound. The slender arm was covered with faint scars. These were wounds left behind when she tried to end her life during her periods of pain. Unfortunately, she was not allowed to die. How much longer must this vicious cycle go on for?

Christine lowered her eyes, unable to look. She prayed quietly, "God bless you."

"No, God must hate me, right?"

Christine looked up at Mary's quiet murmur and saw the girl staring at the moonlight.

"Doesn't he?" Mary asked softly. "I inherited the dragon blood at birth and am controlled by the power. I go crazy, turning into a psychotic killer. I wake up every night in the blood of innocent people, night after night, dying myself black from my sins. Christine, I was born a sinner.

"Sometimes I hate James. I hate my own brother, hate how he's so average, hate that he'd never be able to inherit this evil that should be his. When I go crazy, I feel that the entire world has been polluted by the dirty people. But when I wake, I realize that I am the dirtiest one…

"Christine, you're my only friend but I feel guilt when I see you. I don't deserve you to sacrifice your time for me. You should be eighteen now, right? But you've never even had a playmate because of me."

"Your Highness, I'll be by your side no matter what kind of person you turn into. If your fate is to inherit the crown, then my mission is to be your sword and shield." Christine's expression was solemn. "There are no men in my generation of the Lancelot family. I am my father's only child. My life has been decided the moment I was born, just like Your Highness. I was once unhappy but now I feel that it's a good thing I met you. Becoming your guard wasn't an order by my family but my own wishes. I perform my duties voluntarily and willingly. So please do not blame yourself."

Mary was taken aback. After a long while, she grasped Christine's hand. "Then, you've worked hard."

Christine nodded.

-

The night was deep. After talking about Avalon's pop music and current news, the sleepy Mary leaned against Christine and fell asleep.

Christine glanced at the girl curled up on the sofa. Mary's face was no longer in fear. She picked Mary up and placed her on the bed. Even in sleep, Mary seemed unwilling to take off the ragged leather jacket. She gripped it tightly. After a few attempts, Christine gave up.

She did not know where Her Highness found such a strange jacket but…Christine was concerned because it was clearly a man's jacket! Had someone sneakily approached the princess without her realizing? Maybe it was related to the curse but if this was true, then what was the man's reason?

Christine thought carefully but something bitter appeared in her heart. Her Highness must be looking so relaxed because of that man too! Christine had accompanied her for all these years but was nothing before some random man. That man must have an ulterior motive!

She gripped her sword. Coldness flashed past her eyes. If she found that evil man, she would definitely show him how powerful Galahad was!

"Christine," came a murmur behind her.

"Huh?" She flinched and turned to see Mary, half asleep. She hugged the jacket as she stared at Christine, making her panic subconsciously as if her thoughts were laid out. "Y-your Highness, do you need something?"

"Teach me to dance later." Mary looked at her with pleading eyes. "I want to learn the waltz."

"Uh…You've never been interested in those things, right?" Christine was suddenly nervous for some reason.

"Christine, I just want to learn it so teach me please."

Christine froze. Hesitating for a long time, she lowered her head in embarrassment. "Uh…I've trained to inherit Sir Galahad's power since birth. A knight doesn't need to learn something as weak as ballroom dances. I've never learned it before."

"Oh?" Faint disappointment appeared in Mary's eyes. "Seems that even Christine has things she can't do."

After a pause, Christine made her decision. She gritted her teeth and said, "I will start learning tomorrow!"

Mary snickered at her distress and moved on from the topic. Burying her face in her pillow, she suddenly said, "Christine, I just…dreamed of the prince."

"Prince?!" Christine yelped. Her vision went black. It felt like the sky had fallen. She was right! Her Highness had really met some evil man! However, she quickly fixed her reaction and squeezed out a smile. "Uh, really? That…prince…is he handsome?"

She really wanted to chop up that stupid prince and feed him to the dogs.

"I can't remember. I just remember him holding my hand. Oh, I can't tell you the rest." Mary slyly batted her lashes. "That dream is my secret and the prince is my secret too…" Smiling, she closed her eyes and entered her dream world. There was moonlight there.

Under the same moonlight, dim lantern light shone in the silence. An old man clad in white gazed at the rows of thick books on the large bookshelves gravely. He looked to be around forty-years-old. He had lost almost all his hair. The remaining strands of graying hair were scattered messily. His white research coat was covered in dirt and dust. It probably had not been washed in a long time and had a strange sour smell. It was the smell of pickles and distiller's grains that had gone bad. He looked like a beggar but when he was deep in thought as he focused on the books, his eyes looked bottomless.

"Charles," he suddenly said. "I always felt that I was successful only because I stand on a giant's shoulder. What do you think?"

"Hmph!" The gold-haired youth snorted. "Think that way if you want."

"No, I was asking…" The old man jumped energetically and stomped strongly. His features were animated as if he wanted to tap dance happily. "Would you like to become that giant?"

Under him, Charles carried the weird old man in humiliation. "…Can I insult you?"

"Sure, it's not like you can win against me." The old guy named Newton stepped on his shoulders and whistled. He took an ancient book from the top of the sixth bookshelf. Overjoyed, he laughed. "I finally found it! Charles, you've accomplished something great as a 'mount.' I'll reward you on behalf of the Institute!"

"What the f*ck!" Charles's features twisted. The sound of him grinding his teeth sounded like a knife rubbing against the pallet. He could barely keep himself from chopping this man into pieces.

There is always someone more talented than you or more annoying than you. Charles had roamed freely in Avalon for so many years as an annoying *sshole. He never thought there would be such a big trap waiting for him.

It was one thing to accidentally sign the work contract for the Royal Research Institute. Then he came to work excitedly and was kicked into the trap by this freaky old man.

On paper, he had become successful. He was now the personal secretary and lab assistant of the world's first mechanical engineering master and dean of the Royal Research Institute. But when he came to work, all his coworkers looked at him with sympathy.

"Don't think about catching up to me," Newton had said. "You mundanes are unable to understand geniuses, so just perform your duties and shine somewhere people can't see. I don't need you to toil in experiments or studies. After all, it's the same whether you have a brain or not. Oh, as for your specific duties, just perform some tricks to entertain me and reduce my stress."

So basically, Charles' job was to be tormented by this old man. For example, to satisfy Newton's wish to take a bath while looking down at Avalon's beautiful scenery, Charles searched the entire city for workers and material to add a pool to the top level of the Institute.

Yes, it was a private pool. It also came with a set of fine wine and the best sommelier. When it was finally built, Charles had organized an opening ceremony. The world class sommelier had traveled leagues to attend. When he was reporting in a noble and gentle voice, that *sshole Newton…blew up the swimming pool before him!

"Okay, you're not needed anymore. You can go now."

Seeing everyone's dumbfounded expressions, Newton had burst into laughter. He had wasted one-third of the entire Institute's monthly budget like that! That was why people said a madman was not the scariest. The scariest was that after someone went mad, idiots would still give him money to play with. To all this, Charles could only say that those idiots had problems too!

Thankfully, after spending all of the Institute's money for that month, the budget review department of Anglo's First Division sent a very polite letter telling Newton that he had played around for six months and should get to work, otherwise they would be unable to reimburse his bills at all of Anglo's brothels and personal clubs.

The letter was very polite because this *ss once had been the financial advisor of Anglo's national bank for one month. He had played around for one month but solved problems the former advisor could not solve for decades.

Actually, he had finished the solution on his first day of work and spent the remaining twenty-nine days at the brothel and casino. If his secretary had not discovered this, he could have kept going for half a year!

Anyway, since the patience of his piggy bank was wearing thin, Newton thought with the lower half of his body and decided to pay some more attention to work so he could keep his VIP member status. And so Charles's tortuous life began. Within a short few days, he began a battle of wits and courage with the cold man to keep his honorable job.

After holding the man like a mount for a few hours, Charles finally found what he wanted in the archive of documents piled into a mountain. He was extremely curious about this. What document was worthy enough for Newton to abandon the important secret demonstration he was about to begin and leave the entire research team hanging? It was in the top secret archive as well…

"What, you want to see?" Newton, who had been focused on reading, sensed Charles' curiosity. After thinking, he nodded. "I guess you've worked hard for this project and have the right to share this masterpiece with me."

Charles was stunned. He did not expect this guy to be so generous. He hesitated but scooted closer. The pages of the old book had yellowed. Many pages were stuck together. Something seemed to have been spilled over the critical part and the words were blurry.

"Ah, my powerful knight, please take your dragon sword out of the sheath. I can wait no longer… Ah, what a majestic holy spear. I bow to your chivalry…Ah, ah, ah, ah…Come quickly, my wolf pup, abuse me…"

Charles' expression grew uglier as he read on. Finally, he threw the book onto the ground. "Isn't this just f*cking erotica?! You ditched all those people, even the representative from the Royal Musician Division, stood on my shoulders for three hours, and delayed the last step for activating the experiment just to find an erotica novel in the top-secret archive?!"

"What do you mean? I saved this a long time ago." Newton picked it up lovingly and said seriously, "Don't you think that you need some erotica to keep up your spirits at this time?" He pointed at the yellow spots on the pages. "Look, I used it so many times already! I was going to reward you with this for your hard work."

"Please don't!" Charles looked like he had seen an actual ghost. "Not only is it erotica, but it's all old ladies! There isn't even a younger girl! And they randomly get their stockings torn or go lick a shoe. Can't you have some more class?"

"Young man, you're quite picky." Newton's smiled mysteriously. He scooted closer and said quietly, "I have some with younger girls too. 'Holy Land' is a handwritten draft by Marquis Sade from a hundred years ago. It's the story of a nineteen-year-old girl being depraved in paradise."

Charles's eyes brightened. "Really?"

"Of course!" Newton grew more mysterious. "There are three unpublicized chapters too. You'll definitely be amazed."

The two murmured quietly under the dim light, their expressions changing constantly. For some reason, the secretive and solemn atmosphere had disappeared. All that remained was perviness.

-

Hurried footsteps sounded in the silent hall. A hopeless worker finally found Newton and quietly reported to him what happened at the lab.

"Everyone was present but you disappeared for four hours?"

"It was just four hours and you all act like you're dying. Would I find you all dead the next time I come back after five days of playing?"

"B-but the Royal Musician Division's representative has gotten impatient."

"So? He'll still have to wait if I'm unhappy." Newton glanced at him and sauntered forward.

Seeing his confidence, the worker felt like he was going to go crazy. "The thing is, we didn't go through any modifications of adjustments before this and just started production after completing the original model. If your calculations are incorrect—"

"Idiot, is that even a question? Then it means the entire world is wrong." Newton brushed him off and sauntered away, leaving the poor man rooted to his spot.

Beside him, Charles whistled gleefully and patted the worker's shoulder. "Hey, bro, want some erotica?"

"…"

-

-

The quiet underground research lab was filled with an irritable atmosphere. All the commissioners who had arrived to view the results sat in the crude chairs specifically prepared for them with dark faces. They drank cup after cup of the low-quality lemonade but the anxiousness was not put out. Instead, their bladders were in pain.

No one would be happy if they were made to wait for four hours, let alone these commissioners of various secret departments! The Royal Research Institute was known for their annoying ways but this was…insufferable! Yet they continued waiting like dogs.

At the very least, the deputy head of the Royal Musician Division, responsible for safeguarding Avalon, had not shown any impatience. Mr. Andrea sat in his seat as he had since the beginning with his eyes lowered and expression serious. He looked like a statue.

Now, the statue gradually raised his eyes. "He's coming," he said.

With a slight sound, the gate of the underground experiment lab opened. The old man dressed in a dirty white coat walked out of the lift with a bundle of things wrapped in black dust-proof cloth.

"Mr. Newton…"

"Mr. Dean!"

"Sir!"

The delegates rose and walked over. However, Newton just waved his hand in boredom and impatiently said, "Well, I guess you all can't wait any longer. You all aren't very good at hyping up technology, so without further ado, the demonstration will officially start now. "

The delegates returned to their seats awkwardly. Newton carried the bundle of things and swaggered to the center of the room. He slammed the black dust-proof cloth onto the ground, raised his head and voice, and said, "Today's demonstration is an emergency commission by the Royal Musician Division half a month ago. I designed this sealed object specifically for the task. I named it Mary. If you don't like this name, you can think of something more imposing."

As he spoke, a huge iron cage was slowly lowered through the padlock opened in the ceiling. In the iron cage, crisscrossed chains shackled a huge black figure. The human-like thing was bound by the shackles and the chains. It had white bony barbs all over its body. Its messy hair was black as oil, and it smelled as if it had not bathed in a long time.

That thing was more like a gorilla than human being. However, the gorilla was too large. Even people standing dozens of meters away would get chills by looking at it. It gazed at the living creatures and struggled frantically. The iron cage whined plaintively, almost collapsing under that strange force.

"Mature primate demon?"

Almost all the representatives subconsciously moved behind Andrew, the deputy head of the Royal Musician Division. Everyone knew that Newton was a psychopath and that a psychopath would surely be a troublemaker. He had definitely caused his share of trouble. So, if there was any problem, it was the safest behind Andrew.

"The introduction is finished. Now, let's start?" Newton looked at their faint pallor with undisguised mockery in his eyes. "This is taking your hearts into consideration."

"Excuse me, Mr. Newton," Andrew suddenly asked. "Where is your work 'Mary'?"

"Well, isn't it here?" Newton kicked the bundle of things under the dust-proof cloth beside him. "Mr. Andrew, do you have bad eyesight? Come and see me sometime. I'll get you a pair of glasses for free. "

Andrew frowned. Narrowing his eyes, he studied it carefully. A long time later, he asked, "Sorry, I do not feel any aetheric waves. I can perceive that the things you brought are just ordinary steel instruments without any notes or movements. "

"Well, it is so. Recently, those alchemists responsible for the process got their periods at the same time. Irregular periods. They're too troublesome, so I made a difficult decision." Newton undid the buttons on the black dust-proof cloth. "I gave them six months' leave to have a good rest. Now, one of them is probably at beach in Burgundy, I think? Oh, by the way, I paid for them. I didn't spend any of the budget, but since everyone's on break, there was no other way. I could only solve the problem by myself. Therefore, no alchemy was used throughout the process. This thing is pure mechanical engineering."

His words stunned everyone.

Under everyone's dumbfounded scrutiny, he took off the dust-proof cloth, revealing the steel creations. These things that looked like…the long cones used as markers to fix the target during geological missions?

The slender and heavy long cones were about a meter long with a tip sharp enough to hurt one's eye if they looked. The six long cones did not need to be bound by anything. They were connected by inserting into each other's gaps, as if they were made like that. Those things looked like spears for killing. There was no doubt about their lethality, but they just looked…nothing like what a musician would use.

"What kind of weapon is this?" Some were shocked.

"It's not a weapon." Newton weighed the long cone in his hand and smiled mysteriously. "This is a musical instrument, my friends."

There was a silence in the crowd as if they could not understand the common language. They looked at each other, exchanging only confused and blank eyes.

Finally, the youngest of them, forced by the others' stares, stood up and said, "But Professor Newton, this is not alchemy—"

"Who said it was impossible to play music without alchemy?" Newton lifted the long cone and thrust it into the ground. It pierced into the ground easily with its great sharpness. "I told you, the people who come here won't need brains. It's useless even if you have a brain. Just listen to me carefully. Now, listen up." He glanced at the young man who had a troubled expression. "If I say it is an instrument, then it is an instrument."

At the very front, the musician Andrew slightly frowned but did not speak up. Newton watched as the crowd fell silent again and chuckled. He pierced the spear-like things into the ground around the iron cage.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Three long cones embedded perfectly in an invisible ring, forming an equilateral triangle that surrounded the primate demon in the cages. He fumbled around his pocket for while and found half a twisted cigarette. After another while of fumbling, he grew impatient.

"Charles, where are you? Come on, light it for me!"

In the distance, Charles pursed his lips. He rubbed his hands and a line of fire flew past, accurately lighting the cigarette. Newton inhaled deeply. Puffing out blue smoke, he tapped the ashes behind him.

Boom! Ignited by the fuel splashed onto the iron cage, flames burst. The feeble primate demon grew furious. It struggled forcefully. The precarious iron cage complained.

In a series of shrill sounds, the iron shackles twisted into a strange shape. The chains broke one by one and the iron scraps burst. The pieces scattered to the ground, creating sparks and breaking the stone tiles.

With a roar, the burning iron cage completely fell apart. The raging demon in the flames completely lost all restraint. Under its sharp roar, even the flames weakened like a candle in the wind from the frantic tremors.

"Newton, are you mad?" There was a scream in the crowd.

Newton sneered at him with a mocking expression, his back to the burning demon. The primate demon grew furious. It twisted, twisted the lock, and pounced toward Newton with hiss. It still remembered the old rascal who had been too lazy to find a toilet and peed next to his cage!

In a twinkling, everyone's faces grew pale. Andrew, who had always been calm as statue, was stunned too. He lifted his fingers, about to trigger his sound of heart and release a music movement. However, he stopped immediately because electricity flashed out of thin air!

The moment it crossed the invisible boundary, the three long cones that were pierced into the slate in an invisible ring suddenly jolted. The sound springs rubbing came from the long cones.

The long cones pierced into the slates suddenly pulled up and popped out. The fine gears and reeds hidden within were revealed. They were densely hidden inside the slender grip and rotated quickly. The people were instantly dazzled by it.

The crystals inside were shaken. It triggered the electric light, which flew over sixteen links under its guidance. In the end, hundreds of reeds vibrated at the same time. The waves in the air resulted in rising sounds.

The fine yet staggered sounds converged and transformed into a maiden singing. The ethereal and tender song passed to all directions. In that moment, invisible walls sprang up and turned into a cage even stronger than iron.

When the furious primate crashed against the wall, the three long cones buzzed. The electric lights were in tandem so that the invisible resistance became more obvious. It was like a miracle. But compared to this, the guests were more concerned about something else!

"Singing?" The colonel of the second division paled visibly. He almost jumped from the chair, pointing at the long cones with trembling fingers. "It—it—it…that thing is singing!"

Andrew stared at the three long cones in astonishment and listened to the ethereal sounds in the air. It was so pure and beautiful but with a terrible precision that humans could not possibly achieve. There was not even the slightest error and it was horribly stable!

"Mary?" he muttered; he finally understood what it meant.

The ethereal female voice was singing softly, "Mary has a little lamb, its fur as white as snow. Wherever Mary goes, it always runs along…The little lamb loves Mary and Mary loves the lamb…"

Mary Has a Little Lamb. It was as simple as a nursery rhyme. It was possible to hear it once and know it all. This was just a temporary ploy by a nameless musician. It was simple yet widespread.

Most students learned this melody before they started. All the intervals used the most basic and common relationship. They were just like textbook exercises and were too simple to be taught.

The melody composed by the notes had only one effect of a fence. This way, the flock could be herded and Mary's lamb would not run away…The song that had been sung by everyone and had almost forgotten now was recorded into the machine. It was split into thousands of different voices and composed together again into a song that called to the aether.

The aether was called forth and created the effect. There was no musician guiding, no alchemy, no recording of any notes, and no induction to the aether. But it unexpectedly… worked? And what was more bizarre was that the fence had no defensive force at all. It was the most basic of the basics. A strong shackle could be more useful than it!

Then what the h*ll was it that made its power strong enough to imprison the mad primate demon in it?

Andrew's mind turned. His fingers faintly pressed down, carefully detecting every fluctuation. In the end, he was stunned. "Coherence?"

The three inanimate machines were in coherence! The method of uniting musicians with each other and performing a symphony was applied to inanimate objects?!

"That's right, coherence." Newton chuckled softly. He pulled out another 'Mary' and gazed at its faintly trembling blade. "It's the same alloy formula, casting method, structure, and assembly method. Each of them is made on a dedicated lathe to make sure there is no observable error among them.

"The result is an extremely enhanced 'resonance' effect—hehe, anyway it's just a more complex resonance effect. As long as you find some special fulcrums and then like this…the effect is doubled!"

Boom! He suddenly forced the long cone into the ground. 'Mary' shook in a strange way and popped out again. The machine springs trembled and the light female voice melted into a trio.

When the four voices fused into one, the electricity from the four long cones pierced the spectators' eyes. In the 'fence,' the frantic primate demon stopped moving and was forcefully ejected backwards. The strength of the barrier had instantly doubled, and there was no more space left for it to struggle.

Boom! The fifth long cone was pierced in. The resonance coherence effect surged and doubled again! In an instant, the whole area bounded by the long cones was filled with invisible power.

As if it was thrown into the deep sea, the large demon suddenly curled into a ball and shook violently. It seemed to feel something and cried out. It struggled but nothing could be done.

Outside the boundary, Newton lifted the last long cone. Cackling, he pierced it down with a cackle.

Boom! With a loud boom, the frenzied power exploded. The aftershocks forced Newton to the ground. He rolled pathetically and a group of people scrambled to help him up, but he kicked them aside.

His nose even started bleeding from the shock but his eyes were still fanatical. He stared at the six long cones. In a series of resonance with each other in the electric light, the six long cones on the fulcrum had been burnt red by the wild power. They released terrible power.

The slate could not bear the doubled power anymore. It fell apart, leaving a frantic six-pointed star on the ground!

Within the thrice-multiplied 'fence,' the primate demon screamed in desperation. The sound was muffled and thin as if it came from behind layers of walls. Furious pressure gathered from the surrounding area. The sounds of bones shattering came continuously as if it was sandwiched between iron walls. It was collapsing! It was collapsing inside!

Everyone looked at the center of the six-pointed star. The frantic demon was shrinking and collapsing in midair. It had become so bloody that it turned into a quickly spinning ball of meat.

Finally, it exploded!

Charles's eyes lit up. He asked quietly, "Should we tell the kitchen to make meatballs this way? It'll be chewy!"

Newton froze. Then he immediately patted on his bare forehead. "D*mn, why didn't I think about this earlier?"

"…."

The electric current stored inside the long cone 'Mary' was used up. The six cones close to collapsing finally stopped. They were red-hot from the burning and sizzled loudly. Many inner springs had broken apart the moment it stopped, burning completely.

The girl's ethereal and beautiful voice gradually grew choppy. Finally, it became hoarse and disappeared. It was as if the spirit within it had died. Neither the corpse nor skeleton of the primate demon remained.

Newton climbed up from the ground. He picked at the ashes inside his pocket. Finding a cigarette he had not finished, he grinned. Charles, his loyal dog, quickly came over to light it for him.

With half-lidded eyes, Newton inhaled happily. Looking up, he asked, "Do you all have anything else to say now that the demonstration is over?"

The room was silent. No one spoke. What had happened here tonight had destroyed their world views and faintly shaken the education and common sense they had had since young. They all doubted their own eyes now.

"What is that?" someone asked in fear. "It's not alchemy equipment, not a musician…a pure machine can resonate with aether?"

"Yes, it's just like the strange phenomena in a black zone," Newton stated. "In an environment with heavy aether, pure sounds can lead to aetheric changes. The crack of lightning, the crashing of tidal waves, the eerie rumbling from deep within the earth. Humans use music notes to record these sounds because all sounds can resonate with aether.

"Unless there's absolute silence, any noise will influence the aether. This is the aether effect. Unfortunately, the Church's enchantment weakens the aether reaction within the white zone to the extreme. You can only observe this with your naked eye in a black zone."

"You're saying…you can use machines to play music notes?" someone realized and furrowed his brows. "How can you guide and control it?"

"Oh, I solved this problem two days ago while talking to my assistant." Newton picked his nose. "That guy was boasting about how his junior can't sense aether so he memorized all the key data and organization process of each measure. It sounds stupid, right? But then I thought that since people can control aether without relying on 'sense,' then why can't machines do it? You just need to make the aether think someone's guiding it." He paused and cackled. "Perhaps the aether doesn't need guidance at all. We just choose what we need from one of the various results created by the aether."

"Why do you need electricity to power it?" someone asked. "We've only started using this type of energy from magnetic field cutting five years ago."

"Only this way will maintenance be the easiest and simplest," Newton explained lightly. "Even an idiot can use it after training. I need the lowest cost and widest application. I must guarantee that it can become a standard. With this standard I can perform the follow-up research."

"Follow-up research?" Everyone was stunned. Why did he need follow-up research? Or did he mean that he wanted to create music scores other than this simple one? Newton just grinned at this and did not reply. Everyone's expression in crowd changed from shock to solemnness. In the end, they pondered with grave faces.

"That's that. I don't have to bother anymore now that the demonstration is over. Mass production has already started and should be completed after five days. I hope the Royal Musician Division will hurry up, give the money, and take the stuff away." With a yawn, he turned around to leave.

However, Andrew, who had closed his eyes, raised his head and said coldly, "I'm sorry but we cannot accept these results."

Newton's steps halted. He looked back slowly and his eyes darkened. "Mr. Andrew, you can't back out of the deal. If you don't give me a reason I can accept, the Royal Musician Division will never get any equipment from me again."

All Andrew said to Newton's anger was, "It doesn't meet our requirements."

"Mary's features are above your requirements," Newton huffed. "Its portability and concealment are flawless. What a joke! Even an aether failure like me can use it. Don't tell me musicians can't handle it."

"We need alchemy equipment, not a music box."

"Ha!" Newton snorted. "Its production cost is lower than alchemy equipment, especially after mass production. Its stability is flawless too. If they give you the same effect, why don't you use the cheaper and better one? Even a music box is better than what you want! Tell me, are you stupid?"

"Mr. Newton, I'm sure you're clear that I don't want a low-grade product." He emphasized the last two words, pausing between each word.

Taken aback, emotions flashed past Newton's face. After a long pause, he sighed. He went up to Andrew with a smile and patted his shoulder. He said with an uncharacteristic voice, "Good boy, don't throw a tantrum. The royal family made the request and order. Now you say you don't want it anymore. What do you mean? Mr. Andrew, you're not a kid anymore. Don't throw tantrums."

Crack! A cluster of flames suddenly shot out from Andrew's shoulder. It slapped onto Newton's hand, causing the fingers to spasm. Andrew slowly rose and looked down at the old man. He said coldly, "Mr. Newton, I've tolerated your arrogance for too long. Perhaps this is a mistake. Since when did…people like you get the right to say what goes for musicians?"

Newton looked up at him and chuckled. "You wanted to say 'failure' right?"

Everyone knew that Newton from the Royal Research Institute was not a musician at all. He did not even pass the Student level test. He was a failure who could not even sense aether. He had reached his current position by relying on his genius and attainment of mechanical engineering that no one could pass. This was why the Sacred City had given him the name of a saint from the dark ages.

"I want to tell you something, Mr. Andrew." Newton gazed at the man and slowly raised his finger. "Just one thing." He raised the black Mary before Andrew's eyes. The sharpness reflected a dazzling and blazing light.

"One day, this 'low-grade product' you look down upon will rule over the trends of the era. It will bring power into everyone's hands, regardless of talent, teacher, attainment, or status!" Andrew furrowed his brows. Newton put the cone into his hand, forcing him to hold it tightly. Newton murmured in his ear, "Feel the power, you ignorant fool!"

The veins on Andrew's hand bulged. He gripped the cone, practically breaking it in half. He silently gazed at Newton for a long time before turning to leave.

-

After Andrew's sudden exit, the others who came for the demonstration also bid farewell. When Charles came back with a new pack of cigarettes, he found Newton alone in the underground research lab. The poor old man sat on the cracked ground, caressing the burnt cone dazedly.

"Andrew left." Charles tossed the cigarettes over. "You really pissed him off today."

Flinching, Newton sneered. "I gave it to him nicely but he just wanted to show his attitude. Is he crazy?"

"People are like that. You solved something within a few days that people have to spend decades learning. Why should he like you?" Charles yanked a cone from the ground and studied the melted gears within. He suddenly asked, "But if you keep researching this…won't it replace musicians one day?"

"Huh?" Newton was stunned. "Will it?"

Charles was stunned too. "Haven't you thought about that?"

"Why should I? Researchers only focus on their research. What do musicians matter to me?" Newton shrugged. "Why don't I go be the Pope if I want to think about everything? Plus…what kind of idiot thinks that I can actually come up with a follow-up?"

"Uh…huh?" Charles was practically fossilized.

"It's already the limit of current industrialization to create something like this! I can suggest more theories but unprovable theories are all just guesses. Unless the Sacred City undoes the sixth seal, allowing each nation to receive new technology—including studies on material science and forging science—unless that happens, it'll be forever, kid." Newton looked down and said after thinking, "It'll be at least six-hundred years later. My technology is six-hundred years early. If you think like that, I guess I'm pretty powerful!"

"But people are already scared." Charles scratched his head. "Some people think far into the future. What if they try to kill you?"

"I'm not scared." Newton whistled. "The royal family protects me. It's not like there hasn't been anyone who wanted to kill me. Why should I be scared? You should be the one getting scared. You're my personal assistant."

"…" Charles froze. He could not help but curse. "Why am I so unlucky to end up with a psycho like you?"

"As my assistant, you have to sacrifice something for research. It's the best to sacrifice your youth and descendants. Now, it's the time to sacrifice your life. Charles, don't be a coward."

Newton looked at him sympathetically and said comfortingly, "Everyone has to go through this. When I was young, I…haha, no, I was much better than you when I was young! All those old farts at the Institute treated me like a gem! They were scared I would just quit if I was in a bad mood. They'd give me everything I wanted. Even if I wanted to set the Institute on fire for fun, they'd pour the gasoline and lay down the lead for me, then hand me the torch. In the end, they'd clap for me!"

"…"

"They were all good people but they had bad luck and all died early." Here, he froze. Looking down at the cigarette ash from his hands, his eyes grew sad. "To be honest, they're probably the only ones on this world that would treat me so preciously, right? This research institute was their inheritance. This project is their unfinished research. Even that erotica novel was the coming-of-age gift they gave me. Now that I think about it, those guys left behind a lot of things. But the things that I can leave behind are getting fewer and fewer." He sighed and fell silent.

After a pause, Charles said softly, "You kicked out all the alchemists, forcefully dragged everything on to now, ensuring that they're unable to back out and must accept your design…it's all because of this, right? People who have foresight will understand what it represents, old man. At that time, they'll do everything to send you to the gallows. You've played all these years. Do you really want to die?"

Newton could not help but laugh. Pinching his cigarette, he shook his head. "Charles, I've said long ago that I'm so successful because I'm standing on a giant's shoulder." Newton yanked up the cone. Studying the dull gold shine, he murmured, "After all these years, the group of giants that allowed me to stand on their shoulders has died. Someone needs to complete their journey for them."

Let Me Show You Something Good

It poured heavily through the late autumn night. A man wearing a black raincoat stood beside a carriage and opened the door for Andrew.

Andrew paused and nodded. "Apologies for keeping you waiting, Gavin."

"It's my duty, sir." Gavin smiled.

When the door closed, the carriage charged into the rain and toward the uptown district. In the silent carriage, Andrew placed the long cone on his knee and slowly loosened his grip. He had held it too tightly. His whitened knuckles cracked like stones scraping as he opened his fist.

"You can take care of the docking work with the Research Institute," he suddenly said. "Assemble four-hundred within nine days."

Gavin nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Thank you." Andrew closed his eyes. "It's late. Let the driver take you home. I'm tired too. We can discuss the Musician Division tomorrow."

"Yes, sir," Gavin replied. He did not have any complaints.

The carriage soon stopped. After Gavin bid farewell, he left with his black umbrella. The carriage began moving forward again. Even the sound of breathing had stopped in the once again silent carriage. However, there was a pair of eyes that shone faintly like a sword.

Andrew pressed down on the cone on his knee. As if he was touching red-hot iron, his finger split open after brushing past a sharp edge. Scarlet blood oozed out and fell to the floor along the blade. The cone silently turned to powder and scattered on the ground.

"A machine that can replace musicians? What a joke…" Andrew looked up at the darkness before him and said in a low voice, "Someday, Newton, you'll go to Hell too."

-

The sound of the rainstorm traveled through the window. The faint whistling of wind seemed to blow past the sole lantern in the hall, dim light weakening under the rain sound. The once glamorous hall was now a blur under the light as if it was covered in dust after years of weathering.

The drenched young man entered quietly through the door but froze when he saw the old man under the light. The aging man still had a respiratory on his face. The tubes were tangled in his graying hair as if it grew naturally. The rumbling of pulmonary water accompanied the faint breathing. Hearing the footsteps, the old man raised his eyes and looked at Gavin.

Gavin's steps paused. He said softly, "Father, I'm back."

After a stretch of silence, a voice of disgust came from the respirator, "You know to come back? You still think I'm your father?"

Gavin hung his head. "I'm sorry, Father, the Musician Division is busy these—"

"Enough. Don't say things that I don't want to hear." The man waved his hand in annoyance. "Gavin, do you still see yourself as part of this family after joining the Royal Musician Division? Don't disappoint your mother!"

Gavin froze. His gray eyes trembled and he looked down after a long time. "Yes, Father."

The old man huffed coldly. His expression was filled with dissatisfaction. "Deputy Head Andrew took you back today? Why didn't you invite him to stay for dinner?"

Hesitating, Gavin replied quietly, "He said that he's…tired today."

Undisguised disappointment flashed past the man's eyes. He looked away from Gavin. "Whatever. I never expected much from you. All I need is for people like you to not trouble the family."

Gavin gripped his sleeve cuff and did not answer.

"Also." The old man panted heavily. Rising from the wheelchair, he looked at Gavin. "About Banner…how has it been going?"

"Mr. Flynn has promised to me that Banner will have a spot three years later."

"Three years?!" the old man exclaimed in anger. He glared at Gavin and demanded through his muddled breathing, "How many more years do you want Banner to waste? You have no space for your brother in your heart! So disappointed. Gavin, you disappoint me so much!"

He was attacked by a bout of coughs. It sounded like a steel hammer slamming down into an empty cavern. Gavin rushed over to support him but was pushed aside in annoyance.

A hand reached out from behind and pulled him away. Then the newcomer walked forward, gently pressed down on the old man's back, and injected the cough medicine with ease. Gavin froze in his spot.

"It's okay, Father. I can become a royal musician even without my brother's help," Banner comforted the old man softly. He glared at Gavin as he pushed the wheelchair. "You've waited for too long. You should go sleep now."

The youth pushed the old man out of the hall. Gavin stared as their silhouettes disappeared into the distance. He reached out, wanting to say something. But after a long while, his hands fell down weakly.

Under the dim light, he sat on the dust-covered sofa and closed his eyes in fatigue. Outside the window, lightning flashed past, illuminating the rain. A robin on a withered branch looked away and flapped its wings, flying away.

-

During the same thunderstorm, a gold-haired youth returned home and took a nice bath. He sat in the basement with a towel around him. Looking at the completely different metal skeleton, he smacked his lips.

"The internal power cycle is jammed, the pressure pump is broken, eighty percent of the synthetic muscles are torn, and the aether nerves are paralyzed from the overload." He scanned the skeleton and shook his head. "No, it's completely broken. Yezi, you really went hard this time. Did you really fight the legendary Ripper three-hundred times?"

"Pretty much." On the other side of the worktable was Ye Qingxuan, his entire body covered with bandages and face covered with two medicine patches. He looked away. Right now, he was practically paralyzed. The slightest movement would send searing pain through his body.

For some reason though, his eyes looked different under the light. They were supposed to be pure black, but now they seemed translucent. Glancing at them was like gazing into a clear yet deep pool. They were bottomless and borderless. A vortex seemed to be hidden inside that pulled at one's mind, making him space out involuntarily.

After checking for a while, Charles tossed his wrench down and shook his head. "Nope, can't fix it."

"Huh?" Ye Qingxuan froze, starting to panic. "No way."

This steel skeleton had accompanied him through so many life-or-death experiences. Without it, Ye Qingxuan would have long been dead, thanks to his bad physical shape. Hearing Charles's words, he suddenly felt sad. How could he do stupid things without it?

"It's completely done for. Look at this." Charles pointed at the core of the skeleton, showing Ye Qingxuan the hairline cracks. He knocked on it, creating a hollow echo. Ye Qingxuan furrowed his brows.

"You can hear it too, right?" Charles lifted the skeleton and shook it. Broken noises sounded. "The inside is completely broken. I can try to fix it but then it might break apart if you try to move. Well, breaking apart is the best case scenario. What if it gets stuck somewhere? Heh, you probably don't want to find your leg stuck when trying to escape, right?"

"So what do I do now?"

"Toss it." Charles shook his head and sighed. "In this state, it'll be better to make a new one than fix it. After all, it's a feat that something I made when I was fifteen can last 'till now."

After a pause, Ye Qingxuan reached out to caress the skeleton and sighed sadly. "I guess."

"Don't be sad." Charles patted his shoulder and smiled mysteriously. "Let me show you something good." With that, he took an old and thick pamphlet out of somewhere and tossed it into Ye Qingxuan's lap. "Look at this."

"What, your hand-copied erotica?" Ye Qingxuan studied the pamphlet with its blank cover. He opened it suspiciously and sank into silence. After a long while, he looked up again with a pale face. "Senior, do you know how many years of jail time you'll need for stealing this stuff?"

"It doesn't matter if I don't get caught." Charles grinned. "You should pay me if you're gonna make me work, right?"

The book in Ye Qingxuan's hand was filled with tiny cramped writing and a detailed yet compact picture. It was clear that this was an original sketch. There was even a scribbled signature and words. It looked like a dead giant had been dug out of stone. The corpse radiated with menacing coldness. Just looking through it made one shiver.

At first, Ye Qingxuan was confused. However, he was able to guess what this was after putting the content together in his head. "This is the…archangel armor?" Ye Qingxuan asked in a hushed voice.

"Technically, it's an old version from sixty years ago. Relax a bit. This is just the internal skeletal system. It doesn't include the aether system and weaponry system." Charles whistled. "I carried that old guy for two hours in the secret archive to find this thing. Thank God I have sharp eyes, hehe. Otherwise, I would've gone through all that for nothing."

"Sharp eyes my ass!" Ye Qingxuan's features twisted. "You just swiped it because you couldn't control yourself."

"Stop getting off topic. Do you want this or not?"

"Yes!" Ye Qingxuan clutched the book reflexively. "Why not?"

"Good!" Charles hooked arms with him and rubbed his fingers. "Now we have all our tools. We just need the material. Junior, you have connections so can you think of something?"

A prepared list was put before Ye Qingxuan's eyes. Charles had clearly been waiting for Ye Qingxuan to agree so they could do illegal things together.

"…" Ye Qingxuan looked at him with a strange expression. He wanted to speak but stopped himself.

"What?" Charles froze. "Is there something wrong?"

"No but…" After a pause, Ye Qingxuan covered his eyes. "Senior, did you realize that your towel fell a long time ago?"

"…"