118: Chapter 118 The World Closest to the Ruins of Return: His Dream is About to End.
On the other side of the scene, the West Continent.
A strange, ancient town filled with medieval Gothic architecture.
Inside a dimly lit tavern, candle flames flickered.
Sherlock Haigeway, the normally elegant and composed Scion of Fate, was now sitting in a corner with a gloomy expression.
Before him sat a glass of wine as crimson as blood.
All around him, countless grotesque and mutilated eerie creatures were clinking glasses, emitting bone-chilling roars and shrieks of laughter.
But not a single eerie creature dared to approach Sherlock.
The icy aura of an S-rank High-level Taboo emanating from his body acted like an invisible wall, isolating all filth.
"Damn it..."
Sherlock gripped his wine glass tightly, his fingers turning white from the excessive force.
"Deviation... such a massive deviation in fate has actually occurred."
He cursed under his breath.
This was the first time he had suffered such a complete failure since becoming a scion of the [card game dominator].
That godhead fragment was supposed to be the sacred medium for the [card game dominator]'s true body to descend into this world!
Not only did he fail to obtain it, but he was almost directly devoured by Lin Chuan.
This sense of defeat in the face of fate filled his elegantly twisted heart with rage.
Right at that moment.
Tick-tock! Tick-tock! Tick-tock!
The large brass alarm clock he had placed on the table suddenly began ringing without any warning.
The sound was urgent and sharp, instantly drowning out all the noise in the tavern.
Sherlock looked up sharply, his expression turning stern.
A vast, majestic, yet slightly urgent will crossed infinite planes of space and time, directly descending into his mind.
The source of this will was none other than the [card game dominator]!
"My Lord..."
Sherlock immediately suppressed all his negative emotions and respectfully lowered his head.
"Leave... the West Continent... immediately..."
"Board... the Ferry Train..."
The intermittent signals of will reverberated through his taboo body like a giant bell.
The Ferry Train mentioned by the [card game dominator] was the true name of the 'death train'!
Even the [card game dominator] could not ascertain its origins.
It was a forbidden means of transport that could traverse between reality and the supernatural, between life and death.
As Sherlock was deep in thought, the willed transmission from the [card game dominator] continued to fall:
"Go to... the Yanlong Empire... the Guan River..."
"Awaken... the slumbering... six taboos of meishan..."
"My true body... intends to borrow their vessels... to descend!!"
The six taboos of meishan?
Even as an S-rank High-level Taboo, Sherlock felt a tsunami of shock in his heart.
The so-called 'six taboos of meishan' were terrifying existences from the ancient myths of the Yanlong Empire!
However, what shocked Sherlock the most was... his Lord, the great [card game dominator]! Seemed to be eagerly trying to leave the Chaos Void Realm and descend into reality!!
"The Chaos Void Realm... is... collapsing..."
"Its... first layer of dreams... will... awaken..."
The final piece of information came, carrying an indescribable sense of panic.
Sherlock shuddered, and the wine glass in his hand fell to the ground with a 'crack', shattering to pieces.
The Chaos Void Realm... collapsing?
That was the source of all taboos, the first layer world closest to the 'Void of Return'.
If something went wrong there... Sherlock dared not think further.
He abruptly stood up, grabbed the large alarm clock, seized the black umbrella, and rushed out of the tavern without looking back.
Since his Lord had issued a divine decree, he must execute it at all costs... Meanwhile.
Lin Chuan's consciousness had returned to Zhou Kai's body.
At this moment, Zhou Kai was in a somewhat sorry state.
"Huff... huff..."
He let out heavy gasps that echoed in the silent space.
After a few more ragged breaths, he wiped the cold sweat from his face, tightly gripping the prophecy pen that had once again developed cracks, and warily watched what lay ahead.
They had already ventured deep into the core area of Capital City.
The pink mist here was so dense it seemed almost liquid; each breath felt like countless tiny bugs crawling in the lungs.
And now.
Lying before them was an ancient, time-worn, massive stone altar radiating an aura of ages.
The entire altar was made of obsidian, engraved with twisted ancient characters from the Neon Country.
And at the very center of the altar.
Something lay quietly.
It was a folding fan.
An exquisite, unfolded folding fan painted with a pattern of pink cherry blossoms.
It looked so delicate, so fragile, like an ordinary piece of handicraft.
But deep within this eerie dead city, its very existence was the greatest anomaly.
Even more bizarre was.
Above this folding fan, a faint, flickering line of crimson text was suspended:
"[Destroy this fan, and the calamity will resolve itself.]"
Only eight short characters.
Yet, they seemed to possess a certain magic, constantly tempting everyone present to step forward.
"This... is this a hint?"
Petrovsky widened his eyes and asked hesitantly.
"Destroy it, and all this will end?"
"Heh."
White Rose sneered, slightly raising her frost-bladed longsword, but did not actually swing it down.
"In a place like this, you'd actually believe such a hint?"
"It's clearly a trap."
Though arrogant in her actions, she was not foolish.
Moreover, her intuition as an S-rank Taboo Master told her that this fan... was very wrong.
Hearing this, Zhou Kai did not speak, only furrowing his brows tightly.
The prophecy pen in his hand was trembling violently, its tip writing a huge, twisted character for 'death' in the void with flowing ink.
"Don't touch it."
Zhou Kai's voice was hoarse.
"My pen tells me... if we touch this fan, we will die horribly."
"Then what should we do?"
A Ghost Controller from the Yanlong Empire said anxiously.
"We've come all this way with great difficulty. Are we just going to stand here and watch?"
"We must contain the disaster!! According to reports from the rear, another state in my Yanlong Empire has been covered by the pink mist..."
"If we don't resolve everything soon, the Dongsheng Continent... I'm afraid all living people will die!"
As the Ghost Controller spoke, the surrounding pink mist grew denser, and the omnipresent sense of oppression grew stronger.
Everyone's nerves were stretched to the limit.
Right then.
The silent pastor's shadow suddenly took a step forward.
The miniature Black Church he held in his hands suddenly emitted a clear, ringing bell chime.
Dong!!
The bell's reverberations forcefully pushed back the surrounding pink mist by several feet.
"Sin... requires judgment."
The pastor's cold voice rang out.
He intended to forcefully act, to test the true nature of that folding fan!
"Wait!"
Zhou Kai's face changed dramatically; he wanted to stop him.
But it was already too late.
A beam of black Judgment Light shot from the miniature church, heading straight for the Cherry Blossom Folding Fan on the altar.
Everyone's breathing halted at that moment.
However.
Just as the light was about to touch the fan.
An anomaly suddenly occurred.
Rustle!!
The previously motionless folding fan suddenly... fluttered gently.
Just this single movement.
The surrounding space and time seemed to instantly solidify.
Immediately after.
Countless pink petals materialized out of thin air, falling like a blizzard.
Each petal carried breathtaking beauty and... an aura of death.
"Not good! Retreat!!"
White Rose let out a sharp cry, instinctively leaping backward.
But... amidst the flurry of falling petals, a woman's soft, eerie laughter seemed to faintly sound.