Mystery: The Last Shepherd

Chapter 87 The Witch's Heart

Having received a gift from the Hidden Sage, Luze immediately felt more confident.

The excruciating pain in his head, as if it were being torn apart, was gradually subsiding. Sitting in the chair in the duty room, he pondered to himself.

Ms. M doesn't have a cheat code like mine; she definitely wouldn't be able to withstand the onslaught from the Hidden Sage. However, she previously went through the "Listener" phase, so she's definitely stronger than the average Extraordinary being in terms of resistance to the impact of evil gods. Even so, that talisman will still have a significant impact on her, greatly reducing her strength.

He looked down at the ring again.

Ms. M seems unable to detect this, just as she hadn't realized she was out of the surveillance system.

Lu Ze recalled that the Church of the Night's sacred text, "The Book of Revelation of the Night," contained a record that the goddess held secret authority, which was probably why Ms. M could not discover these things.

Unfortunately, the goddess wasn't willing to help me much, so I had to ask the Hidden Sage for help.

Thinking of this, Luze recalled the second useful piece of knowledge bestowed upon him by the Hidden Sage—the knowledge that could save Cecilia from the Curse of Flesh and Blood, namely, the method for making an item that would bear the curse in her place.

Because he couldn't write it down on paper, Lu Ze could only remember it in his mind:

A life form in a bottle.

Effects: Becomes a substitute for the user, capable of withstanding curses, interfering with divination, and being sacrificed on behalf of the user.

Materials: Various herbs, the user's blood, and the witch's heart.

Witch?

Recalling this, Lu Ze's eyebrows furrowed.

The materials for the previous parts were relatively simple; herbs could be bought by mixing them into the ritual supplies. While it was pitiful to see Cecilia bleed, it was bearable for the sake of survival. But what exactly was this witch?
Wait, I think I've seen this in the documents before.

Luze recalled something.

Yes, there's an organization called the "Witch Cult," which seems to have been mentioned in materials related to the Gnostic Society.

While investigating a human trafficking case, Luze was stabbed by a suspected Assassin-path Beyonder. He then searched for information about the Night Watchers. This information revealed that some Beyonders using the Assassin path came from the Gnostic Order, a bloody and extreme organization. This organization was suspected of being connected to the "Witch Cult."

However, he couldn't find any specific information about the Witch Cult at the time.

We need to find information about this cult quickly. I'll look through the archives when I get to work tomorrow, and I can also ask the captain. Also, we might be able to find the witch by following the human trafficking case, but unfortunately, they've already gone into hiding.

Lu Ze thought to himself.

But how can he find the witches and obtain the materials from them without arousing Ms. M's suspicion? Perhaps he could try to link the witch cult with the Night Watchers, making it official business, and then claim that the witch's heart is ritual material to preserve it?
In the quiet, deserted underground space, illuminated by the gaslight, Lu Ze continued to ponder, constructing various solutions in his mind. He felt no sleepiness and remained there until dawn.

Just after six o'clock, the night watchman who stayed in the upstairs lounge came down to relieve him.

Good morning, Luze, the sun has just risen.

Cohen, the "Sleepless Man," appeared from the corridor, walked up to him, and said with a friendly smile, "Is this your first time on duty? How was it? Did anything happen last night?"

Unfortunately, nothing strange happened.

Lu Ze shrugged and laughed, "To be honest, I almost fell asleep because I was so bored. Luckily, the captain provided coffee. At times like this, I really envy you sleepless people who only need to sleep for a short time each day."

"It's a good thing nothing happened."

Cohen laughed and said, "When Klein first guarded the Chanis Gate, the door opened from the inside, which startled him. Later, they analyzed that it might be because a notebook was temporarily placed behind the door, but I don't know the specific reason."

Something was left behind the door, so it was temporarily left open?
Lu Ze's heart skipped a beat, then he asked casually, "Speaking of which, have you put anything new behind the door lately?"

"No, if you really want to know, it was only on the day of the special inspection that the senior deacon went inside once with the goddess's sacred object."

"That's right," Cohen replied.

Lu Ze thought to himself, wrote his name in the register, stood up, and pulled out a chair for Cohen Ritten.

A monotonous sound of footsteps came from the other side of the corridor. The two men turned their heads simultaneously and saw an indifferent old man in a black robe carrying a gas lamp coming from the direction of St. Serena's Church. The old man didn't even look at them, walked straight to the Chanis door, pushed open the iron gate, and stepped into the black silk-wrapped space.

They are the internal guardians.

Cohen looked at the retired night watchmen who had volunteered with admiration.

At this moment, Lu Ze suddenly had a question.

"Speaking of which, I'm very curious about what exactly is the power that suppresses the sealed artifact behind the Charis Gate?"

He asked Cohen.

“Oh, I heard that each stronghold has different ones. I don’t know what the other strongholds have, but here in Tingen, it should be Saint Selena’s ashes,” Cohen explained. That saint was a high-ranking powerhouse in life, and her ashes still possess great power after death.

Lu Ze couldn't help but glance at the black ring on his finger.

So, these are the things that were used to block me last night?

After saying goodbye to Cohenli, Luze climbed onto the ground. It was indeed already light, and pedestrians were already walking on the streets, busy making a living.

Lu Ze let out a long yawn, only then realizing just how tired he was. Indeed, he had been thinking all night, his brain hadn't rested at all, and now that it was light and the sun was shining, sleepiness was creeping in.

I wonder how their investigation is going.
I'll go back to the company this afternoon and ask. Also, I need to find information about the witch.

With this thought in mind, Lu Ze stepped out of Blackthorn Security Company and, under the slightly glaring sunlight, took a trackless carriage back to No. 6 Narcissus Street.

As soon as Luze entered the house, he saw Ms. M's beautiful yet hateful figure. Today, she was dressed in a women's knight's outfit, her two long, rounded, and full legs stretched out, while Cecilia sat on the other side.

"Cecilia, didn't you go to class today?"

Today is Saturday.

"Ah, yes."

The night shift workers get a break once a week. Lu Ze had been working for so long that he almost forgot what day the weekend was.

He was about to say a few words to his sister when he saw Ms. M looking at him with a smile and asking, "What were you doing last night?"

In that instant, Lu Ze's heart skipped a beat.

"I'm thinking about how to get rid of you."

Immediately afterwards, he spoke to Ms. M in a defiant tone.

"Really? I've seen you sitting here all night, and I'm a little curious about what you're thinking about."

Ms. M smiled.

Upon hearing this, Lu Ze's expression remained unchanged, but he secretly breathed a slight sigh of relief.

The goddess's power was indeed strong; Ms. M did not notice it.

　The document originally intended to describe "the witch's womb," but it was changed to "heart" to avoid censorship.

　　Additionally, the prototype of the bottle lifeform is the little man in a bottle from alchemy, also known as Homunculus.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)