Departing at nine in the morning, they arrived in Morito City by three in the afternoon. As a renowned city in the southern part of the Hearn Kingdom, Morito City had been a war fortress for the past two eras, boasting a prominent geographical location. The Baron of the Black Tower possessed vast wealth, which also spurred the economic growth and development of surrounding cities, with Montpelier being a prime example. The baron was extremely wealthy and generous, and under his governance, Morito City gave Olovice a new perspective on the world.

After getting off the train and stepping out of the platform, Olovice and Lily stood at the back of the crowd, spotting the welcoming party from the Radiant Church of Morito City. Through the sparse crowd, Olovice saw the Glorious Bishop of Morito City, his snow-white hair slicked back, and his gray eyes mostly covered by puffy eyelids. A sacred gem adorned his middle finger, and his priestly robe was silver-white, with three red and gold sashes draped from his left shoulder to the right, fastened with gem-studded clasps. Under the gloomy sky, the gems shimmered at different angles.

Olovice glanced at Bishop Ulrich, who was shaking hands with the Morito City bishop. Despite both being city bishops, Bishop Ulrich’s attire was much more modest compared to the Morito City bishop. Morito City was indeed wealthy beyond measure.

Olovice looked up at the distant spires. Morito City boasted a highly distinctive architectural style from the last century, grand and magnificent. The bustling streets were lined with avenues, and the outer walls were constructed with large blocks of black marble unique to Morito City, forming a typical Romanesque romantic style, adding a touch of solemnity.

Lily suddenly sneezed, rubbing her nose. Returning to Morito City, she still disliked the weather and air here, finding it too dusty. “Just like before, Ulrich, you should first take your people to stay in our church’s guest rooms, and then secure the forbidden items. Tonight, the baron will host a banquet to welcome you,” the archbishop of Morito City decisively stated.

Both groups headed to the grand cathedral of Morito City together. Olovice lagged behind, walking slowly. Morito City was much larger than he had imagined. Among the ordinary citizens out and about, some women wore scarves and veils, while men donned high-collared coats or masks due to a faint unpleasant odor in the air, which was not pleasant for those with sensitive noses. No wonder Miss Emile went on vacation every year.

The developed mining and industry had caused air pollution, raising environmental awareness among the people of Morito City. Billboards along the road advertised a series of products like deodorants and purifiers invented by grand alchemists.

Undoubtedly, the Radiant Church’s Holy Rite of the Light Cross remained a focal point in the city, still pristine white amidst the black, red, and gray tones, like a patch of snow that momentarily amazed Olovice. The church’s exterior was constructed with white marble and large stained glass windows, with pointed spires piercing the gray sky like a black sword.

Olovice followed a nun from the church to the guest rooms to rest. As a wealthy church in Morito City, the accommodations for visiting clergy were a row of two-story villas. Olovice was lucky to get a sunny room on the third floor, with his neighbor being Captain Prine of the Holy Wing and his team members. The second floor housed personnel from the Black Cross Tribunal. Bishop Ulrich and his accompanying secretary stayed in another villa.

“Olovice, we need to secure the forbidden item, the Alectryon Magic Mirror, in the Spiritless House first. You should come along and familiarize yourself with the place where the Black Tower’s demons are imprisoned,” Prine said, knocking on the door and waiting for it to open, with five black knights standing behind him.

“Alright, please wait a moment.” Olovice returned to his room, gently patting Lily’s hair, and said to her, “Wait for me in the room, don’t wander around.”

After speaking, Olovice followed them to the second floor. There, a member of the Black Cross Tribunal carefully held a mirror covered with a black cloth. The mirror seemed larger, covering the person’s waist.

Whether it was Olovice’s imagination or not, he vaguely heard a very faint female voice, almost inaudible, a soft, pain-filled, despairing, tear-dried sobbing sound. Olovice shivered, his heart feeling as if it had been struck hard, causing him pain. After a few seconds of numbness, he looked again at the mirror covered in black cloth.

“Captain Prine, it seems to be crying. Did you hear any crying?” Olovice shared his observation.

“No,” Prine replied. “Creating illusions, auditory and visual hallucinations is one of the basic characteristics of the Alectryon Magic Mirror. This only indicates that its contamination is about to overflow, Olovice. It’s fake.”

Olovice tried to calm himself down. When he focused again, the sound was gone, as if it had been an illusion. Yet, the lingering heartache and anxiety remained.

“Let’s move quickly,” Prine said, familiar with the grand cathedral of Morito City. He led his team and helpers into the church, heading towards the back. The church was enormous, and after leaving the front buildings, Prine continued towards the rear. The towering spires at the back eventually led them to a black tower, isolated amidst a sea of black thorns within a cluster of white buildings.

The black thorns covered the entire black tower and the surrounding open space, growing beyond ordinary thorns, layer upon layer, like silent black thorny waves, making it impossible to approach. The underground thorn roots were twisted beyond recognition, each branch having various-sized oval-shaped lumps resembling closed eyes.

Olovice took a deep breath. What kind of dark boss’s lair was this? Was this really an event suitable for a newbie like him? He observed the surrounding white buildings, noting that their placement wasn’t random. Each building’s top had a cross, forming some kind of magical array connection point. The light elements in the air were so dense that Olovice found it hard to breathe.

“Blazing Holy Flame!” Prine waved his hand, burning a path through the thorns. In the silver flames, Olovice followed them, pausing as he noticed something. Among the thorns were many human-like organs scattered everywhere, such as lips, ears, noses, lungs, feet, legs, throats, fingers, flesh, and even reproductive organs, all identical, like copies.

They grew haphazardly, as if humans were disassembled into parts that couldn’t be reassembled, only to be randomly mashed together. Olovice recalled Mr. Brown’s words, feeling an increasing sense of foreboding.

As they entered the black tower, the burned thorns outside slowly wriggled and regrew. Inside, the black tower was also filled with thorns, the floor cracked from the pressure. The spiral staircase, the chandelier in the central hall, the carved railings, and the doors were all surrounded by thorns. The tower’s dim light added to the oppressive atmosphere.

Yet, despite this, there were people inside the black tower. Olovice sensed the presence of seven or eight people upstairs. On the second floor, the central door opened, and a red-haired witch emerged, her long snake-like hair flying. She had cast a levitation spell on herself, sitting on a magic broom, slowly flying down to stop in front of Prine.

She had light orange-yellow eyes. She looked at Prine and his team, one by one, and when her gaze met Olovice’s, she said, “I don’t want to stay in the tower anymore. The black thorns inside the tower grow and spread even if cleared daily. I want to apply to leave the tower and move to the White Tower.”

Prine replied, “You should discuss this request with the baron.”

“The baron said you have the authority to handle matters within the tower,” the red-haired witch pleaded. “Captain Prine, if I don’t leave soon, I feel like I’ll be contaminated. If I’m contaminated, my petrification ability might not work on Samuel anymore.”

“With me here, I can at least restrain it a little,” the red-haired witch almost begged. “Captain Prine, I swear I won’t run around. I can’t escape the grand cathedral anyway.”

Prine thought for a moment. “Alternate between the black tower and the white tower, one day in each.”

“Thank you, Captain Prine,” the red-haired witch said gratefully. As soon as she finished speaking, several witches noisily emerged from the second floor.

“You can’t!” Prine sternly said. “Your abilities are even weaker and more useless than hers.”

The red-haired witch signaled the other witches to remain silent and step aside, waiting for Prine and his team to pass before returning their gaze.

Olovice also reached the bottom of the tower. Soon, footsteps echoed from inside the heavy door, and personnel from the Black Cross Tribunal of Morito City opened the door, quickly ushering them into a dimly lit room illuminated only by candles.

Olovice sensed that he couldn’t mobilize his inner holy spirit power. “Is this the Alectryon Magic Mirror?” “Please place it here.”

Their team placed the ever-expanding magic mirror into a pool, where the gentle, clean water rippled, revealing the mirror’s true form as the black cloth covering it was removed.

The exquisite frame was adorned with various irregular gemstones, including rubies, turquoise, blue agate, silver zircon, amethyst, lapis lazuli, obsidian, yellow crystal, and pink diamonds, appearing so beautiful in the water’s reflection. The round mirror surface was spotless, like a full moon, with two bird claws supporting the frame at the bottom.

It resembled a collector’s hidden artwork. “How is Samuel?” Prine asked. “It should be asleep,” the tribunal personnel in charge of guarding replied.

Prine frowned, clearly dissatisfied with the answer. “I’ll go check.”

“Be careful of the echo of the sea god’s horn in the corridor,” the personnel warned.

Olovice thought for a moment and quietly moved closer to the main group. The black spiritless door was pushed open, revealing a long, deep, pitch-black passageway with no end in sight.

Olovice heard a soft, ethereal singing voice, so beautiful and enchanting, echoing in his ears. The circular passage walls amplified the song’s resonance.

Olovice suddenly felt sleepy and quickly retreated to the Spiritless House. Prine, with two team members, entered the darkness, and soon, his figure disappeared into the corridor.

The door was closed again. Everyone waited quietly. After about fifteen minutes, rapid footsteps approached, and Prine kicked the door open, dragging two team members and tossing them inside. The deformed flesh mass chasing them was about to hit the door when Prine shot it back and then burned it clean with holy fire.

The door was closed again. “It’s not asleep. Samuel’s fragmented body is still wandering outside the dark cage,” Prine said, looking displeased.

Olovice silently took a step back, crossing himself. Then his body stiffened. He looked down and moved his foot away.

A piece of eye tissue from the exploded flesh mass had somehow rolled to Olovice’s feet, and he had accidentally stepped on it. This piece of eye tissue seemed to have been casually torn off, a small lump with skin and flesh, its black eyelashes closed, resembling the lumps on the black thorns outside.

Olovice stared at the eye tissue, lost in thought. He suddenly pried open its eyelashes. An eye is generally composed of the eyeball, sclera, retina, optic nerve, eyelid, tear gland, eyelid, and eyelashes.

But Olovice only felt a semi-solidified, sticky, jelly-like black substance. Olovice stood there, motionless.