Mystery Paradise: Wishing Power Demon
Chapter 396 - 395: The Final Chase

Chapter 396: Chapter 395: The Final Chase

The sun had completely set, leaving only a faint purple afterglow; gunfire could still be heard in the city, but it was much less frequent than an hour ago. Whether the final victors were the Ransu Company or the Fishermen’s Army, the war was gradually coming to an end.

It took Ailuodi only about two minutes to cross the entire beach before she stopped above a small pier.

Because beyond that lay the endless ocean.

"Are you sure you haven’t got the direction wrong?" Chaoyang was a bit surprised.

"How could I? The scent leads straight out to sea," Shi Yin replied with utmost certainty.

"Let’s go down and ask."

Chaoyang patted Ailuodi on the shoulder, and she carried him closer to the ground, finally landing in an unnoticed corner. This area was minimally affected by the suppression war—probably because the company also needed the pier to transport supplies—so there was no ban on access here. A few dock workers and sailors were busy on the pier, seemingly indifferent to the battle erupting on the nearby beach.

Chaoyang stepped forward to ask and handed over two copper coins; the other party confirmed that a cargo ship had indeed left the dock not long before, bound for the New Continent.

"Shall we chase after it?" the Angel asked. "In twenty minutes, that ship can’t have gone very far."

Chaoyang gazed at the dark and gloomy sea for a moment before shaking his head, "No, I might have been wrong; he is not the protagonist on the stage. Or perhaps he was... but not anymore."

He had asked the Angel to come with him to find Li Qiang Ola because this man was deeply entangled with the heretical cult and had a non-negligible connection to the Franwick Family’s tragedy, although revenge was not the main reason. If he could kill or control him, the disaster in the City of Defense was likely to be averted.

But Li Qiang had run away.

Although the sailor did not know the final destination of that ship, Chaoyang knew that Li Qiang was heading to Magnificent Castle and would become the Earl of that pioneering city. Catching up now, and assuming they could overcome him, even if Ailuodi won, it would not significantly affect the situation in the City of Defense.

Because he must have set the stage before leaving.

The man knew clearly that even without him in the City of Defense, the play had already begun, and no one could stop his plan now.

"Then who is the protagonist?"

"The protagonist is not one person, or any specific individuals..." Chaoyang’s fingers trembled slightly, "and not even only one stage is built for this... I understand now, this is the meaning of ’double shadow’!"

"Uh... could you explain a bit more?"

"There’s no time, I’ll explain on the way!" Chaoyang took Ailuodi’s hand, "We must head back to the beach cave immediately!"

The Angel nodded and once again, took to the sky with him.

"Do you think Franwick Yuss really has a problem?"

"Yes! Do you remember the Obelisk that stood over the City of Defense? We were not wrong initially, it is not the creation of the God of Causality, but its appearance is indeed caused by Li Qiang Ola!"

Now they knew that the majestic and complete pyramid was the symbol of ’Unfathomed’.

"But isn’t Li Qiang a fervent believer in the God of Causality?" the Angel asked against the howling sea wind.

"Exactly, that’s the misdirection!" Chaoyang felt his mind clear, as all the mysteries from the past were linked together by this clue, "No one said he could only summon the God of Causality. In fact, his ultimate goal is to bring another Evil God to descend upon the City of Defense!"

Ailuodi was still confused, "Shi Yin... is what he’s saying correct?"

Shi Yin raised its head, "You guys go ahead, I’ll give my opinion last."

"Asking it is pointless, it knows nothing about the situation!" Chaoyang exclaimed, "Do you remember what Vance White, the Divine Envoy, did when the God of Causality appeared in Magnificent Castle?"

First, a divine corpse served as the cornerstone.

In the Magnificent Castle, it was the body of Meyer, the Goddess of Mercy from the Huiqiu Mine.

Within the City of Defense, the Yuss Family guarded the heart of the Hunting Divine.

Secondly, a living sacrifice was needed.

The massive deaths of Haiwei miners and the City Guard Army served as offerings for the arrival of the Evil God.

Now, many people have died in the caves and on the beaches... Whether they are gangsters or corporate lapdogs, no matter how filthy their souls, as sacrifices, they are all the same.

Following this train of thought, Ailuodi subconsciously asked, "What else is there?"

"Finally, there’s the corresponding ritual and the summoner. It’s not surprising that Li Qiang Ola knew the summoning ritual of the God of Causality, but what if he also knew how to summon the Unfathomed? More accurately, could it be that his master taught him the methods to lure the Unfathomed?"

"That’s impossible!" Shi Yin protested sharply, "Humans simply cannot comprehend the will of the Primordial Gods, much less communicate with them! Those heretical cult followers are nothing but lunatics who presumptuously speculate the divine will!"

"But Li Qiang is no longer in the City of Defense, so you suspect Franwick Yuss is the actual summoner..." Ailuodi pondered, "But I don’t understand, what is his purpose in desperately luring the Unfathomed? Wait..."

The Angel suddenly gasped, murmuring lowly, "...No way!"

"Exactly, all this is the groundwork laid by the other party for the cataclysm that will occur in fifteen years," Chaoyang clenched his fist, "Li Qiang Ola aims to trap the Mist God completely here by the coming of the Evil God! In doing so, when he summons the God of Causality, there will no longer be any Latter Divine to save humanity."

That is how history played out.

The City of Defense was consumed by fog in a very short time, hundreds of thousands died, and people attributed the source of the disaster entirely to the Evil God. Under the King’s instruction, General Fales Ben launched a large-scale purge against the heretical cult followers.

Everyone was oblivious that they had lost their last layer of protection; it was from that point that the Envoy of Mist began to feel their connection with the divinities dwindling, until they were no longer able to sense any divine revelations at all.

Though they were still able to summon the mists to cover up sins and corruption, this was merely patching over holes in a rag, unable to change the course of fate. The moment the red serpent of the God of Causality completely dispersed the mist, the entire world would be exposed before the Primordial Gods.

—If Li Qiang had not been at the center of that whirlpool at the time, he might have succeeded already.

"We’re here!" Ailuodi alerted.

At this time, not even a flicker of firelight could be seen on the beach, and the bombardment had completely ceased, it was uncertain whether the Fishermen’s Army had halted the company’s advance, or if the company had taken the beach. But now they could no longer concern themselves with this, plunging directly into the pitch-black cave from mid-air.

After several twists and turns, the two, along with Shi Yin, found the side passage where Franwick Yuss was confined.

"Zhou Zhi?"

"Is anyone there!?"

Chaoyang called out twice, but there was no response apart from the empty echo.

"I’ll go first," Ailuodi said, gripping the Sword of Gale, and took the lead into the passage. Darkness was no barrier to the insight of the Spiritual Rhinoceros Vista, and they did not have to walk far before they saw Zhou Zhi lying motionless on the ground. Chaoyang stepped forward to lift him, finding no breath, with a perforating wound the thickness of a wrist on his back.

This kind of injury was a typical puncture wound caused by potted monsters.

"Looks like you were right," Ailuodi said with a grave expression, "he was killed by a stealth attack—the attacker struck from behind without him realizing it."

"This is really bad, someone among the refugees has been implanted with a seed," Chaoyang understood immediately what this meant. Franwick Yuss was not alone; who knows how many potential mutators had infiltrated among the hundreds of people in the lower levels, "Let’s head directly to the bottom level, I’m worried Franwick has already found a way into the wall!"