dmims Chapter 86 Before the Grave
Chapter 86 Before the Grave
At dawn, Suren awoke to the morning light.
The corruption of the "Evil in the Mirror" and the negative effects of "Ellie's Tears" have been resolved, allowing him to have a long-awaited peaceful sleep last night.
He washed up while thinking about his next plan.
To avoid alerting the enemy, it's best to continue following the "Death Bird's" path during the day, find a place to spend the night, and leave with the caravan tomorrow.
Thinking about this, a thought popped into Suren's mind: Should I subtly say goodbye to Karl when I see him today?
"Knock knock knock!"
A series of urgent knocks on the door interrupted Suren's thoughts.
Suren quickly wiped her face, feeling a little puzzled. It was only a little past seven o'clock, who would come looking for her?
He opened the door and found Deacon Corrigan standing there. Corrigan's expression was rather solemn, and one could even see the sadness in his eyes.
A sense of foreboding washed over him. Before Suren could speak, Corrigan sighed and said with a touch of sorrow:
"Karl...died in the line of duty."
Time seemed to stand still at that moment. Suren stared blankly at Corrigan, whose expression had turned somber. She opened her mouth, but didn't know what to say.
For the next while, Suren felt like a puppet, numbly following Corrigan's lead.
When he came to his senses again, Suren was already standing in a cemetery, a cemetery in Loren Town specifically for burying civilians, located on the shore of St. Wood Lake.
At this moment, Suren was standing in front of a grave. The stone tombstone was engraved with "Karl Flint," but there was no photograph of him.
Suren looked up and around. Carl didn't have many friends, so there were only a few people at the grave. Besides Suren and Corrigan, Mr. Lawrence and Leonard were also there.
When Suren's gaze swept over Edmund, he couldn't help but frown. He didn't know why this guy was there too.
"Karl's body was found near the 'Harp Library,' a temporary base of the 'Gate of Truth.' I suspect Karl must have discovered something, which led to his being silenced." Leonard sighed and shook his head sadly. "I also tried to use my tracking ability, but unfortunately, the opponent was too strong, and I didn't get any clues."
“‘The Gate of Truth’…” Suren silently repeated the word, took a deep breath, and said nothing more.
Suren's gaze returned to the solitary tombstone, her thoughts a jumble of emotions.
A bird that had died was buried hastily, without even a proper funeral, just like consumables.
Leonard followed Suren's gaze to Karl's tombstone, tears welling in his eyes, and said sadly, "I couldn't bear to see him lying in the street, unable to even find peace in death, so I buried him here. My poor student, he didn't even have a proper funeral."
Shouldn't a teacher who truly loves their students give them a more formal and solemn funeral?
Why were they in such a hurry to bury Karl's body?
Although Suren's mind was in turmoil, the incongruity in Leonard's words caught his attention.
Suren showed no expression, casting aside his rational emotions, and said, word by word, "I will avenge Karl..."
Leonard turned and stared intently at Suren, as if trying to read something from his face.
Corrigan and Lawrence stepped forward and offered Sulen a few words of comfort.
"Perhaps this Karl is colluding with the 'Gate of Truth'," an untimely voice rang out, laced with sarcasm. "Maybe it's a dispute over the spoils, leading to infighting."
Suren turned his head, but he didn't speak. He just stared intently at Edmund, who had made the sound.
Edmund was about to continue his sarcastic remarks when he was stung by Suren's gaze. For a moment, he felt as if he were facing a ferocious beast.
Leonard frowned, raised his cane and struck Edmund on the shoulder, saying gravely, "Edmund, if you utter such rude words again, I will have the Church apply for your removal from the 'Holy Rank'!"
Edmund clutched his aching shoulder, lowered his head, and dared not utter another word.
Suren glanced at Leonard, then said nothing more, her gaze returning to Karl's tombstone, seemingly lost in grief.
Leonard looked at Corrigan and said slowly, "Today I will set off for the Holy Court to report on what has happened during this period. The Eternal Oath Knights have also withdrawn, so there is no need for me to stay here."
He then walked over to Suren and patted him on the shoulder: "I will find a way to avenge Karl. The Gate of Truth is not something you can deal with right now. Live your life well, improve yourself, and don't think too much."
After saying that, he stopped talking and turned to leave.
Seeing this, Edmund, despite still feeling some resentment, followed Leonard's lead.
Listening to the two men's footsteps as they left, and confirming they were far away, Suren turned to look at Corrigan, his voice slightly hoarse, and asked, "Has the 'Eternal Oath Knights' really withdrawn?"
"To be honest, I don't know." Corrigan shook his head, turning to look in the direction Leonard had left, his expression turning serious. "I think the reason Priest Leonard left actually has little to do with the 'Eternal Oath Knights,' but is most likely related to his promotion."
"Promotion?" Suren was a little puzzled. Leonard had only been a superhuman for two years, and he was already about to be promoted to "Agent"?
Corrigan nodded, instinctively reaching for his pipe, but quickly realizing the situation, he refrained.
"This morning, I saw his 'radiance of faith.'" Corrigan paused here, then exhaled softly. "It was orange-yellow."
"By the way, when he first arrived in Loren Town, he was still azure blue." Corrigan added, seemingly worried that Suren might not have understood his meaning.
After listening to Corrigan's words, Suren remained silent, staring intently at Carl's tombstone while pondering Leonard's situation.
The other party's "Faith Radiance" only turned orange-yellow some time after entering Loren Town, and it is highly likely that it was only in the last few days.
There must have been some changes that enabled him to achieve such a significant improvement.
With this thought in mind, Suren closed his eyes, and the [Revelation] deep within his consciousness was activated. In just an instant, he entered that ethereal state.
It was no longer fragmented words, but rather a series of images flashing through my mind, some blurry, others clear.
These images are not continuous, but they piece together a scene:
On the moonlit road, a gentleman with silver-gray hair and gray-green eyes simply raised his hand and killed Karl. Karl lay in a pool of blood, with scattered pieces of paper around him, which looked even colder under the moonlight.
The gentleman walked up to Karl's body, picked up the papers, and turned to leave.
Suren recognized the person in the picture as Elas Mercury, the owner of the "Harp Library".
He opened his eyes and exhaled deeply.
Although he had prepared himself mentally, witnessing Karl's death still made him very upset.
Suren shook his head, composed himself, and tried to recall the scene he had just witnessed, attempting to find some details.
Did Elas really make it?
How did Karl obtain the manuscript?
If it was Elas who did it, why didn't he act before?
One question after another appeared in Suren's mind.
Just then, the cold touch on her face interrupted Suren's thoughts, and Suren looked up at the sky.
It's raining.
Corrigan's one eye swept over Suren, he sighed, patted Suren on the shoulder, said nothing more, and turned to leave with Lawrence.
At this moment, on the outskirts of the cemetery, behind a large tree, a dark figure in a long robe was hiding, cautiously spying on Suren. It was Edmund Vickers.
His teacher's words still echoed in his ears: "Karl's death is suspicious. Keep an eye on Suren. If there is any unusual activity, notify me through the 'communication crystal.' Do not act rashly."
He still remembers that after saying that, his teacher even solemnly reminded him not to fight Suren.
He bit his lip, a feeling of being slighted welling up inside him. He muttered resentfully, "Just you wait, teacher. If Suren has any problems, he's just a 'Those Who See Through Reason,' I alone am enough to take him down!"