Chapter 104-The Manga Pariah's Guide to Self-Salvation
"What the hell is this place?"
Roy looked around. The street, wrapped in fog, was windless, like stagnant water. As he walked, his foot suddenly hit something. He bent down to pick it up—it was a newspaper.
"Look, this ad space lists an address: Jin Yun Street 123, opposite the Municipal Council Building... Municipal Council Building?"
Percy finally understood where they were. This was Platinum District in the West District, the most prosperous area and political center of the West District. Lucy's home was in Landshaft District's York Town, much further west than here.
Caleb wore a crestfallen expression. "Why were we suddenly teleported here? It completely deviated from our planned route."
The three men looked at each other. After entering the West District, they noticed that the surrounding scenery had completely changed without their realization. Only after walking back and forth did they confirm that a spatial shift had occurred.
The City Lord of the lower district had stopped all transport routes leading to the West District to ensure the safety of the public. It took the three of them several days of traveling to successfully reach the West District.
Percy clenched his fist. Since they had arrived at the central Platinum District, where the West District's dignitaries, political officials, and important documents were concentrated, they might as well find out what exactly had happened here first.
There wasn't a soul to be seen along the way, and not many corpses. Most people had probably evacuated to shelters.
Percy thought for a moment, quickened his pace, and said to his two companions, "Let's go to the church."
When disaster strikes, people always intensify their faith and crave the salvation of the gods. The clergy in the church might know more about this strange catastrophe.
The three young men walked forward with their heads down. Roy, following behind Percy, suddenly narrowed his eyes. He felt something was off.
Wait, why was Percy walking down this path so naturally? He didn't even hesitate at the crossroads, acting as if he was very familiar with the way to the Platinum District church.
Roy opened his mouth in surprise to remind him, "Percy, should we try to find a map of this place—"
His voice cut short. The fog had thinned somewhat at some point, revealing the characteristic spire architecture of a church not far away.
Percy abruptly stopped, his gaze fixed on the building.
Roy had already walked up beside him. The blond young man looked confusedly at Percy's slightly dazed profile, as if even he hadn't expected to find this place so quickly.
"Hope Project?"
Sykes stared at Ye Zheng, his tone rising.
Ye Zheng tilted her head. "Don't look at me like that. I've never heard of this project. He was an official appointed by the Empire. You should know more about them, Crown Prince."
The "Hope Project" should be related to Wen Jian's secret experiments in the West District. She had a bad feeling. The Sei Curia's secret experiment and the so-called Hope Project might involve far more people and powers than she had anticipated.
Sykes turned back to stare at the wide-eyed corpse on the ground, the gloom in his heart deepening.
He should know. As the heir to the Empire, this country should hold no secrets from him. The moment he heard the man blurt out "Hope Project," his heart suddenly skipped a beat. He desperately searched his mind for the project but couldn't find a single clue.
It might be something his father had mentioned, but he hadn't paid attention, or perhaps—the Hope Project was also part of his lost memories.
Sykes clenched the fist at his side.
"Your Highness, let's put this aside for now. Aren't you curious where that Ms. Zhou went?"
Sykes raised his eyes, turned, and saw that the strange middle-aged woman was gone.
"She was with you just now, Ye Zheng."
"Yes, she just tried to kill me."
Ye Zheng nodded calmly. Sykes frowned as he looked at her, quickly grasping the meaning of Ye Zheng's words.
"Was that woman controlling this fog?"
"The file stated she was a commoner. Could this Governor-General's wife have been replaced by an ability user?"
Ye Zheng listened to Sykes's analysis and shook her head.
"She should be herself. As for her ability... perhaps it's related to what we need to investigate."
The mysteries before her and the opponent behind the scenes were genuinely tricky. It was not a good time for her to act alone. For now, she could only continue to cooperate with Sykes.
The Saintess's downcast eyes held a trace of worry. Lucy was still missing, and Sierra and Wen De were still on their way. She wondered if Zhou Yun would move against them.
She secretly twirled a strand of damp hair still carrying water vapor. Ye Zheng quickly analyzed the situation. All clues currently pointed to the Hope Project, which was likely connected to Wen Jian's experiments involving Dragon Bone and the human body. Coupled with the commoner Zhou Yun suddenly gaining an ability, and the manga spoilers suggesting Lucy would exhibit non-human characteristics...
In short, such a large-scale experiment must have a research base. If they found the base, they might find Lucy and the truth.
"In that case, let's find that Zhou Yun first. Kill her, and this strange fog will disappear."
Sykes said in a deep voice, with a trace of obvious anger.
Ye Zheng glanced at him, her gaze dropping to the ragged undershirt subtly visible beneath his coat, understanding Sykes's fury.
In the manga, her role had shifted to that of a villain. Had Sykes's role also quietly changed? Recently, his clothing was always notably vulnerable.
"What are you laughing at?"
"Oh, just thinking about something funny—Did you just say you were going to kill Zhou Yun? Her body can dissolve into the mist. It will be very difficult to find her now."
"It seems you have a better plan?"
"We go to the Grand Church."
Since Pope Wen Jian was conducting experiments in the West District, he must have involved the Sei Curia personnel there. They must know quite a bit.
After setting their next destination, the group hastily gathered and set off again. After the chaos just now, the original twenty-some Knights were reduced to only eleven, half of whom were wounded. Ryan was also severely injured. Ye Zheng used her ability to provide them with some basic treatment.
Pushing open the heavy main door, Ye Zheng once again stepped into the murky white fog. Perhaps it was psychosomatic, but she always felt a pair of sorrowful, damp eyes watching her from within the mist.
She walked in the middle, observing the surrounding streets. This should have been the most densely populated area before the catastrophe, but now there was no one.
It was very strange. Not even many corpses were seen. Where had all these people gone?
There were too few clues. Ye Zheng only snapped back to reality when the group stopped in front of a magnificent church building.
The somewhat disheveled Knight Commander took two men forward. With the previous example of the Municipal Council Building, they did not dare to be careless. They cautiously approached the large door. The Knight Commander bent his finger and knocked twice.
There was no movement. Under the Crown Prince's gaze, his Adam's apple bobbed nervously. Just as he was about to slap the door with his hand, the large door quietly opened.
The Knight Commander almost hit the man who opened the door. He quickly pulled back his hand and apologized sheepishly to the man.
"No matter. Please come in, everyone."
The man in white robes was distinguished and had a look of utter affability and tolerance. His voice was like an elegant cello, stunning the Knight Commander.
Ye Zheng stood not far away, looking at the man at the entrance. Fragmented memories flashed through her mind, and she only felt that the face looked somewhat familiar.
A sense of unease instinctively rose within her. This discomfort peaked when she stepped inside the church and clearly saw the man's face.
The Saintess put on a proper smile and nodded, "Bishop Kiran, I have long admired your reputation."
The man looked at her in surprise, his eyes glancing down at the sword by her side, then nodded gently, his tone cordial, "As expected of the Empire's most acclaimed Saintess in a hundred years. Meeting you today certainly lives up to your renown."
Sykes stared at the man for a while before raising his face and slightly narrowing his golden eyes, "Kiran Aston?"
The man named Kiran looked at the two young people, his smile becoming more gratified. He shook his head, "It seems my reputation precedes me. Both the Crown Prince and the Saintess remember a minor figure like me."
"You are too modest, Your Excellency. Your charisma back then is still a fine story in the upper district," Ye Zheng smiled, her dark eyes thoughtful.
She had met him once, at her uncle's birthday banquet when she was twelve. Even among the celebrities and powerful figures gathered in the upper district, Kiran Aston's presence was enough to make most people feel inferior. Handsome, eloquent, and learned, he easily became the focus of the banquet.
He was a distant relative of the Royal Family. The Aston family had many relatives, and bearing the surname Aston didn't make him special. Yet, Kiran Aston had become a famous Aston through his own merit. Even the Emperor praised him, and rumors said he was the Emperor's secret consultant.
However, such a person, at the peak of his fame, suddenly left to become a Priest. He completely disappeared for the next few years.
Ye Zheng only learned that he had become a Bishop in the West District after doing some investigation into the area's situation following the news of the Pope's experiments there.
[You seem to dislike him. Why?]
The System asked curiously.
Kiran Aston had a handsome face that neither men nor women could dislike. He was highly emotionally intelligent and knowledgeable. His storyline hadn't even begun to unfold. Ye Zheng seemed to have no reason to dislike him.
"Because he caught me committing murder."
The System was shocked.
To be precise, he stumbled upon her escape from the murder scene. Ye Zheng wasn't entirely sure if the man had witnessed her killing her great uncle.
When she was twelve, she attended the birthday of her great uncle, who was a Chief Justice at the time. She unexpectedly overheard that a relative of a victim from the 'Blood Flower' Incident was dissatisfied with the verdict and was still appealing. Her great uncle had hired someone to kill the appellant and disguise it as an accidental drowning for the sake of his reputation.
"You know, a twelve-year-old child is at a very impulsive age. My ability had just awakened and I couldn't control it properly yet."
"I drowned him in the pool using my ability. It looked like he had drunkenly fallen in."
"That was the first time I killed someone."
Ye Zheng's tone was objective in her narration. "I was just about to leave the poolside after doing everything, and then I ran into Kiran. He told me to be more careful."
[That sounds normal. Adults often give such advice to children running around.]
Ye Zheng walked forward, keeping her eyes ahead, yet her peripheral vision was focused on the tall white-robed figure. Even the man's back radiated an air of calm elegance, exactly as it was back then.
"No, my first reaction was—he was telling me to be more careful about my actions."
The System choked up. After a moment, it said,
[Given his persona, that is possible.]
A faint smile bloomed on Ye Zheng's lips. Was this a spoiler? It seemed Kiran was indeed an important character.
Kiran led the group through the main hall, where a group of anxious commoners were huddled. Under the mural depicting the God of Hope, Priests and Nuns were moving among them, offering assistance. Everything looked orderly.
"Well managed."
The Crown Prince gave his affirmation. After being in the West District for so long, this was a rare moment when he showed a good expression.
Kiran summoned a Priest, instructing him to take the injured Knights for treatment and rest. He then looked at the Crown Prince and the Saintess. "Your Highness and Saintess, please follow me. I know you both must have many questions for me."
Sykes and Ye Zheng exchanged glances.
In the deep, clean corridor, the white-robed Bishop walked and chuckled, "Oh, and there's another young friend there. Perhaps you're acquainted."
Kiran led the two to a tightly closed door and pushed it open.
"His name is Percy. Do you know him?"
Percy was in the room, looking up at the magnificent fresco on the wall, his expression distracted. His hand subconsciously reached out to touch it.
How strange. This mural gave him a peculiar sense of familiarity. Was it because all paintings praising the God of Hope adopted similar themes and techniques?
Screeech—
The old door scraped against the floor, emitting a jarring sound. Percy withdrew his hand as if burned and looked toward the doorway.
He then saw two people who made his emotions extremely complicated.
Percy first looked at Sykes. The Crown Prince was as arrogant as ever. He kept his expression controlled, then shifted his gaze to the young person beside the Crown Prince.
Today, she wasn't wearing the signature long gown of a Saintess but a sharp pantsuit, which removed her harmless kindness and added a sense of severity.
At this moment, the gentle yet cunning Zhao Mei and the noble Saintess he idolized completely merged into one person.
Ye Zheng.
Since the last time she shed the disguise of Zhao Mei and raised the Divine Sword over the Black Dragon's corpse, Percy had finally seen her again.
He could hardly describe their relationship. He once unilaterally believed they were friends, but now... were they enemies? No, it didn't seem so.
The only thing Percy was sure of was that he and Ye Zheng could never be friends again.
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