The Whispering Verses
Chapter 78: Blood Mist

The evening breeze passing under the grape trellis made Shad, who had narrowly escaped death, shiver uncontrollably. Even for a Ring Warlock, having your head explode like a watermelon would certainly leave no chance of survival. He sat motionless, staring at the scene before him as a whispering voice murmured in his ear:

【"I thought you would throw the dice, trying to roll a 20 again to turn the tables."】

"No, I wouldn’t gamble on luck. I merely used the act of throwing the dice to force him to fire. Otherwise, if he became cautious and tried other methods to kill me, I’d truly have to meet the God of Death... Speaking of which, the last time I rolled a 20 was when I countered 【The Puppeteer’s Script】. So, if the Bloodling School sends another page of the script, can you help me again?"

【"Of course."】

The woman chuckled softly in Shad’s ear, her voice still melodious.

A stiff smile crept onto Shad's face as his emotions gradually settled. Sitting there, he muttered inwardly, "This wasn’t gambling. Since it’s called the Merciful Gun and doesn’t kill those who attempt suicide, maybe tonight, under my luck, it might have an opposite effect."

【"Do you have any other plans?"】

"The original plan was to fake my death, but whether that can fool the opponent also depends on luck."

After saying this, he exhaled deeply, feeling his body regain control from the numbing fear of impending death. His back was soaked through, and the summer night breeze made him shiver all the more.

Standing up, Shad felt as if he had been reborn compared to when he sat down a few minutes ago. Calmly and carefully, he wiped the dice clean with the clothes of the headless corpse, then placed them along with the ring and the 【Silver Moon Pearl】 back into his pocket.

When retrieving the 【Merciful Gun】 from the corpse’s hand, he noticed blood had seeped into the gun’s cylinder, revealing a fine engraving that had gone unnoticed before:

"Harm none, harm no one."

"Ha!" he let out a dry laugh. Blood covered his face and half of his shirtfront, but he didn’t forget to grab 【The Puppeteer’s Script】 from the stone table. The leather cover of the small book seemed capable of absorbing blood, leaving it untainted. Unfortunately, the first nine pages had already been used, and prior entries had been blackened out to hide their contents from the holder.

Shaking his head, Shad picked up the book and made no effort to clean up the blood and brain matter on the ground and table. Dragging the headless corpse by one hand, he left the trellis and walked into the garden’s maze.

Blown by the night wind, his mind was fully clear. Once the fear and composure dissipated, he thought wistfully, "I must gain strength. I will no longer gamble with my life. The Radiance of the Gods, the power of the Ring Warlocks—I need them both!"

【"I will bless you, Outsider."】

Dragging the corpse into the grass behind the hedgerow, Shad sat down, breathing in the scent of the grass and regaining his strength while contemplating his next move.

He didn’t know how long he had been sitting there when he heard approaching footsteps. Before he could stand, Miss Anat, whom he had parted ways with minutes ago, pushed aside the hedge and appeared before him.

The short-haired diviner tilted her head, glancing at the headless corpse and then at Shad, whose shirt was bloodstained. With her light makeup, her brows furrowed slightly.

"I didn’t kill him," Shad said, clutching the gun while sitting by the corpse. He noticed his voice had returned to normal. Fear had retreated; now, he only craved power.

Miss Anat looked at the corpse again and raised an eyebrow, her expression dubious. "Although it has no head, judging by the attire, it looks like the Heart Collector from 【Blood of Mercury】. And he’s dead... by your hand? What on earth have you been doing these past ten minutes?"

"It’s only been ten minutes? It’s a long story. This is a tale of revolvers and luck, probably more convoluted than the event itself. If you’re interested, I can keep it brief."

He spoke, but Miss Anat, her purple eyes gleaming, shook her head. "Then leave it for now. There’s been trouble at the manor, and we need your help." She extended a hand to Shad. He glanced at his bloodied hands, hesitated to dirty hers, and eventually shook his head, opting to stand on his own.

"You divined that I’d be here?" he asked, gazing at the distant manor. In the hazy night, a faint crimson glow seemed to shroud it. As he activated 【Blood Echo】, traces of blood appeared even in the air—an almost imperceptible mist of blood. The Lakeside Manor itself seemed enveloped by a giant crimson cocoon.

Through his special vision, Shad saw a massive shadow looming over the manor, with a blood-colored pillar connecting it to the somber night sky. The oppressive sight made him grunt, and he hastily closed off the arcane perception. Just that glimpse left his head buzzing—a sensation he recognized as the aura of a deity. The power from the mere ritual was already staggering.

"No, the scent of blood is overwhelming here. I came to test my luck. I originally intended to catch a cat to help me. Detective, change into the corpse’s clothes and wear this mask. We don’t have time for you to clean up."

The corpse’s wine-red suit hid bloodstains well. The mask, crafted from twisted branches Miss Anat had formed by brushing a flowerbed, was tied with grass rope. Its design was simple but functional.

"Has the Evil God descended?" Shad asked, feeling his heartbeat quicken. Looking at the manor with the naked eye, he saw only darkness enveloping it. The Lakeside Manor seemed utterly transformed—mysterious and foreboding.

"Not yet. We encountered that Madame Lasso—or rather, Mister. They’re a Six-Ring Warlock. Right now, the Doctor, the Clergyman, and Dorothy have either trapped them or are trapped themselves. I need backup."

"What awful luck," Shad thought.

He could imagine the dangers awaiting in the manor. Leaving was an option, but he couldn’t abandon the friends he had just met to their deaths. Since he had become a Ring Warlock, he had to face danger head-on. Avoiding it would only delay the inevitable moment he couldn’t escape.

"I’ll go with you," he said, feeling an unusual calm as he made the decision. His lips even curled slightly, showing a hint of satisfaction. He knew he was making the right choice. Even if he died in the manor tonight, he wouldn’t regret it.

Miss Anat observed the detective’s expression. As a diviner, she understood his emotions: "This is the life of a Ring Warlock. Once you step into the extraordinary and the mysterious, there’s no turning back. Detective, perhaps you’ve just faced a life-and-death choice. But for now, forget about it. I’m sorry, but this is dangerous, and you’ll soon face another life-and-death moment with me. You can tell us your story when this is all over."

"Will the Evil God descend? Also, I noticed ritual traces in the garden."

Shad asked as he changed into the corpse’s clothes and donned the mask. He joined the valiant Miss Anat in stepping out of the grass. Under the moonlight, her purple eyes seemed to glow as she shook her head.

"I don’t know if the Evil God will descend. We can only do what we’re capable of. The divine descent ritual is enormous, and the garden’s setup is merely peripheral. It’s the manor’s third floor that matters. Follow me, detective."

The headless corpse lay abandoned behind the hedgerow, its body gradually obscured by shadow and the blood mist as the distant clouds veiled the three moons. Starlight faded, and the garden regained its eerie tranquility.

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