The Secret Code of Monsters.

Chapter 1078 Ch.1077 House Arrest
The "Mother Tree" and the "Fang of the Beast" did not live in the same sanctuary for long.

Horn traveled across half of London to reach this desolate area during the disaster...

It couldn't be that he had some kind of premonition.

Someone tipped them off.

but…

For Florian Westwick now, none of that matters.

he…

I saw a great being.

They also saw their ancestors.

Lord Sean Westwick, a nobleman of the Great Bear, a servant of the gods, and supposedly a near-divine being who wields authority far exceeding that of immortals…?

Florian slumped backward in frustration, leaning against the edge of the altar.

An uncontrollable surge of contempt arose within him.

as well as.

What that great being said…

It's ridiculous.

These ritualists, filled with longing and hoping to spend their lives traversing the paths to pay homage to the gods…

Isn't that the best joke in the world?

The gods are not a hoax, but the servants of the gods certainly are.

The scam stems from human arrogance, so how can we blame the 'gods'?
He lost all his strength, and all his past ideals and future arose from the wound on his skin, flowing away and never to return.

At least that's how Horn sees it.

The "Mother Tree" has won.

Although the process was somewhat different from what Horn had imagined—he underestimated the rats' prowess and spent too much time traversing the city.

If Westevik were to discover this and complete the ritual, it would be too late.

Thinking of this, Horn turned around, his gaze passing over his subordinates and toward the green-robed man bowing to him—the "Beast Fang" cultist who, a few minutes earlier, had tried to rush onto the altar out of 'worry' but was stopped by the cultists.

"Lord Horn, just as I said. Even without my intervention, this ridiculous ceremony could never succeed... You promised me..."

Ignoring the furious glares of the Beast Fang Cultists, who had briefly lost all power to resist, Horn waved his hand.

“Of course, if you insist on leaving—there will always be a place for you in the Great Vortex, child, including Westwick. The Mother Tree and the Fang of the Beast are one; without light, there would be no shadow…” He turned around and gave the dejected man a compassionate smile.

"The premise is..."

"We should give up some of the 'delusions' we shouldn't have."

He took a step forward.

"Is that right, Mr. Westwick?"

Horn gazed at him quietly, then slowly crouched down, his eyes level with Florian's.

"This is merely a 'minor dispute' over doctrine, Your Excellency. I cannot believe that you would actually seek to harm your own people—to invoke an immortal being who should not exist in this world, a servant of the gods… Florian Westwick, have you forgotten the oath we swore to the gods when we became nature walkers?"

The burly man, in a compassionate tone, recounted a mundane passage from the doctrine—a section often added to many denominations: believers are not allowed to harm one another.

Florian raised his eyes slightly and said with a soft, mocking tone, "Do you think I'm unaware of your connection to the 'Wanderers' Camp'?"

Horn sighed. "That wasn't someone I sent, child. If I truly wanted to take over Nature's authority in the mortal world, why wouldn't I approach you directly? There is no being greater than me in 'Beast Fang,' otherwise, you wouldn't have committed such a blasphemous act today..."

Florian did not want to debate with Horn in public.

Regarding intrigues and schemes, assassinations and exclusion, and all sorts of underhanded dealings in social circles—Florian knew very well what his fate would be: provided he couldn't know 'more'...

Of course he can't.

Even though Westwick's 'ideal' officially ended in his generation, some precious people could not fall into the flames with Florian Westwick.

“So you’re not after me, but an artifact of Westevik,” Florian said softly. Horn replied sternly, “I must correct you, Florian. It’s an artifact of the ‘Great Vortex’—you can’t say that Westevik was once glorious, and everything in the Church belonged to a single family…”

With his back to the believers and facing Florian, he no longer concealed his greed.

Reach out.

Towards the man whose ritual has failed.

"Hand over the artifact held by the master of 'Beast Fang,' Florian, my child. Nature is merciful and does not teach us to harm each other—but for a short time…at least until 'Beast Fang' chooses its next leader, you are not allowed to leave the sanctuary."

Florian reached to his neck and deftly untied the leather rope: at the end hung a raven's shriveled claw.

"It's what gave me the opportunity to use the next level of power ahead of time, Horn. However, I must warn you—it brings disaster."

Florian placed the claw into Horn's hand.

Horn could no longer hear what Florian was saying.

Raven's Claw.

A magical item that allows one to use the next level of power ahead of time—Disaster?
What disasters might those who have reached the Eighth Ring Road fear?
Horn suppressed his barely suppressed smile, coughed lightly as he rose, turned to the restrained cultists, and said loudly:

"The Westevik bloodline will not end here. But Florian Westevik has blasphemed against the gods, attempting to prevent the mortal realm—which should not be traversed by the world—from leaving the Sanctuary until the next leader of the 'Beast Fangs' is decided."

These words did not elicit gratitude from the followers of the Beast Fang: they spat on him, on the traitor, and insulted him and the followers of the "Tree Mother" faction.

But these people.

Florian, among others, is no longer an obstacle for him.

In the face of a fortunate destiny, Horn was still willing to be 'merciful' and gain a good reputation...

Once a new "Beast Fang" leader comes to power, Florian and his supporters... their good days will be over—he wouldn't be foolish enough to choose a real "Beast Fang".

“I almost forgot, Florian. I saw Thackeray in the yard.”

Florian remained silent.

“Perhaps I should consider him? In my opinion, Theodore Gabriel Thackeray is absolutely qualified in terms of faith, aptitude, wisdom, and appearance—now, are there any other high-ranking members in the Beast Fang who ‘have a future’?”

Florian frowned and interrupted, “Leave the Sanctuary, Horn. You are not welcome here—and besides, you know he is not qualified.”

Horn gave a peculiar smile: "I have no idea, Florian." He even shamelessly pressed further: "What happened to Thackeray?"

How could Horn not know?
What happened between Florian's father and Thackeray—how could this leader of the "Tree Mothers," the Eighth Ring Ritualist, not know—even about his father's death…

The love between the two men clearly defies the laws of nature.

This is deformed, unclean, and even blasphemous.

If it weren't for his father's tragic death, a death that would make anyone frown, Theodore would never be able to peacefully follow Florian today...

No.

Soon it won't be.

Florian stared blankly at Horn's departing figure, lost in thought: he thought of the scene he had seen in his 'dream'—a far cry from the descriptions in the family books, an ancestor pitifully wailing like a whipped child, foolish greed, a terrifying trap…

This made him want to laugh.

The efforts of generations of family members…

Just for that pitiful wretch who was wailing?

And there was that alien creature that flapped its wings and spoke human language.

If everything he saw and heard was the 'truth'...

Florian suddenly had a strange feeling: the beast teeth and the tree mother were no longer important.

The glory of Westwick no longer matters.

The same goes for the "Great Whirlpool"...

That's ridiculous.

(End of this chapter)