It was 11:30 at night when Marvin escorted Nova along Dolock Road in the slum district of Zephandrel.

  "Is there any danger?" Nova whispered, her eyes darting nervously at the ink-dark roads and the homeless sprawled in alleyways, their bodies slumped under tattered cardboard.

  "Nova, danger exists everywhere," Marvin replied coolly. "Otherwise, I would not have come with you."

  Nova nodded, though unease still clung to her expression.

  Arriving at the doorstep of House 44, Nova reached toward the knob to knock, but Marvin stopped her. He raised the hilt of his sword and rapped deliberately on the door.

  Was he worried the door might be rigged with an extraordinary trap? Nova suddenly felt the familiar urge to scribble notes in her notebook.

  The door creaked open to reveal an interior swallowed by darkness, with only a vague silhouette visible seated on a bed. Marvin’s lips curled into a silent smirk, indeed, an enemy was present.

  Nova, advancing cautiously, peered inside. Instantly, a chill surged through her body as if something were invading her very being and struggling for control. Her thoughts slowed, and her breathing became labored; she wanted to scream, but her voice failed her entirely.

  Marvin, too, experienced a similar sensation. Yet being Level 1 with far stronger spiritual fortitude than Nova, he was still able to move, though his body began to rebel. Maintaining his trademark calm, he slowly rotated his wrist and directed the barrel of his concealed handgun toward the left side of the darkness.

  Boom!

  The roar of the Imperial Eagle rang out. Nova felt as if a giant hammer had struck her in the face, her ears and nose nearly filled with blood, only for her body, almost miraculously, to quickly rebound to normal. Stumbling, she clutched the doorframe for support; then she saw Marvin ignite a small tinder, which cast sudden light across the room.

  Before them lay a roughly twelve-square-meter, spartan room. A young man in a yellow clerical robe sat motionless on a bed, his eyes rolled white and his face tinted purple, a clear sign of death. In the shadow behind the left door, another corpse of a middle-aged man in a black robe lay sprawled; his chest had been ripped open by an elephant-hunting round, his body sodden with blood and slack, yet his face still held an expression of disbelief.

  Marvin advanced swiftly, beginning to search the young man's personal effects on the bed. "That is a Veilbreach II extraordinary one," he explained. "Veilbreach II grants the ability to manipulate nearby spirits. These spirits can cling to inanimate objects, say, a handgun, or even invade a living body to contest the control of its spirit."

  He then gestured toward the corpse in the corner. "Of course, this power is not all-encompassing. As an extraordinary one progresses to higher sequences, the likelihood of being overtaken by invading spirits declines. I have already concealed a handgun beneath my cotton armor. With nothing more than a slight twist of my wrist, I can fire if needed."

  Nova felt a blush of embarrassment. At the moment the door had opened, Marvin had already assumed a counter-ready stance with his weapon, while her own instinct had been merely to lean in for a peek. The gulf in practical combat experience between them was painfully clear.

  And even if she had been fully alert, her reflex would have mistakenly targeted the corpse on the bed, while the true adversary lay hidden behind the dark at the left door. How did Marvin know?

  "Two birds with one stone, Nova. You are fortunate," Marvin said, retrieving from the young man's sleeve two rolled-up formulas—one for Bloomcore I and one for Holy I. "These belong to a would-be extraordinary one of the Life cult who, unfortunately, died before acting on the formula."

  He then removed the yellow crystal amulet ring from the corpse's finger, glanced at it briefly, and turned to search the corpse in the corner. Nova, transfixed by the ghastly sight on the bed, bit her lip in unease. "So… inviting me here was actually a trap?"

  "Perhaps," Marvin replied. "Perhaps the Life cult, upon hearing that someone was seeking the Bloomcore I formula, lured you in to recruit you, only to have you intercepted by members of the Spirit cult. Or maybe the interception occurred earlier, those attending the meeting were Spirit cult members who suspected you might join the Life cult, so they deliberately enticed you into this trap."

  "I believe it is the latter," Marvin analyzed, finally discerning his objective: the formula for Marionette's Kiss I, the Bloomcore I extraordinary trait from the bed, and the Veilbreach II extraordinary trait of the murderer.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  This was quite the windfall indeed! Marvin thought with satisfaction. Three Level I formulas, two extraordinary traits (one at Level 1 and another at Level 2), plus the Life cult ring, the total value must be at least 600 to 700 pounds. The price gap between the mystical and the mundane was enormous. His two shops in Zephandrel were valued at only about 1200 pounds; now, by dispatching one extraordinary one, he had recouped nearly half that value.

  "Let us go," he said, pulling Nova away from the scene.

  "Are the Life cult and Spirit cult mortal enemies?" Nova asked, her curiosity piqued.

  "Indeed. The Life cult—also known as the Druid cult, originated with the ancient Kate people. They wield the bloodline path of the 'Pastoralists,' whose main sequences are Bloomcore and Holy," Marvin explained. "The Spirit cult, however, hails from the ancient Xiris people. They control the bloodline path of the 'Spirit Witches,' whose principal sequences are Veilbreach and Unawake."

  "During the Third Age, these two cults were close allies. At that time, the military might of the ancient Pendragon Republic nearly conquered the entire continent. Both the Xiris and the Kate peoples were forced to submit under Pendragon rule, and in uniting against a common foe, the 'Melodist of Dawn' bloodline path was born in a brief era of harmony." Marvin elaborated. "Later, in the Fourth Age, as the Pendragon Empire split between East and West, the Xiris people merged completely into the Eastern Pendragon Empire and began to call themselves Pendragon, while the Kate people were absorbed by the Jamanni. As cultural and ideological differences grew, the two cults ultimately fell out."

  "Even more disheartening, during the close alliance of the Third Age, each cult was privy to many of the other's secrets. When they finally split, both sides sought to obliterate the other completely," Marvin continued slowly. "It is said that the deepest hatred comes from those once closest to you."

  "Is that so?" Nova murmured, already imagining a saga of love and enmity spanning thousands of years between the two cults.

  ……

  The next day, Marvin awoke in his study and noticed a plump package on the desk. Attached was a note in delicate script:

  Payment upon delivery

  L.S. (Abbreviation of Lily Seria)

  P.S. There is a church informant outside your door.

  "Marvin! Marvin!" Nova burst in breathlessly, exclaiming, "Our house has been robbed! I just tallied our funds, and we are short 210 pounds! The thief even left a note claiming it was payment…"

  She stared blankly at the package on the desk. Marvin, holding his head in his hands, sighed wearily, "Yes, your spiritual materials have arrived. And the money was taken by them as well."

  "Goods have arrived?" Three other girls rushed in.

  They opened the package to reveal a dazzling array of spiritual materials. Garr Valley River Water was contained in a de-labeled mineral water bottle (about 400 ml); Eden Fruit, a pale green apple-like fruit, was wrapped in plastic film, three in all; Olive Oil of Corven filled a glass jam jar to the brim.

  Valar Eagle's feathers were tied together with hemp, six or seven in number; Panacea was stored in a plastic bottle; and Mash of Golden Leech sat in a small, empty cosmetic foundation box with a handwritten label boldly declaring "Malodor."

  The service of the Thieves' Guild was exceedingly thorough, they delivered every item in excess of the order. It was evident they had handled many extraordinary orders before, even factoring in the loss from failed elixir preparations. Marvin mused quietly and then declared, "Since the materials are complete, let us begin brewing the Justiciar X elixir."

  "But what about my Hemoleech I?" Aurora protested; her elixir formula materials were also gathered.

  "You?" Marvin glanced at her. "Have you fully assimilated your Sanguine's Thirst extraordinary trait?"

  Yvonne chimed in eagerly, "A Level 1 elixir that has not fully digested is extremely dangerous to mix with a Level 2 elixir, because the elixir within you remains untamed. Combining it with another sequence can trigger a rampage that wildly increases the risk of uncontrolled spiritual energy."

  Seeing Aurora so dejected that she was at a loss for words, Marvin waved his hand dismissively, "Let us proceed with what we can create now."

  Alice immediately set up a crucible to assist Marvin. First, she measured 100 ml of Garr Valley River Water using a beaker, poured it into the crucible, and ignited the fire beneath it. Four minutes later, as the water roared to a boil, Marvin carefully retrieved a pair of Eyes of Duskwalk Insects and gently placed them into the heart of the boiling water.

  With a popping sound, the Eyes of Duskwalk Insects burst open, releasing inky, pitch-black liquid that swiftly turned the boiling water completely dark. Strangely, the turbulent surface then calmed; no matter how fiercely the flames below roared, the liquid remained undisturbed.

  Marvin then drew out a reagent bag containing Diamond Powder and poured it into the crucible. The powder dispersed evenly, rapidly dissolving within the liquid. Finally, he added Valar Eagle's feathers one by one into the mix.

  In the blackened liquid, tiny glimmers emerged, like distant stars in the night sky, invoking a deep sense of wonder. Marvin inhaled the aroma; satisfied with its promise, he poured the resulting elixir into a beaker and handed it to Alice.

  Alice clutched the beaker, her throat twitching momentarily. Then, with eyes closed, she downed it in one steady gulp. Instantly, her skin began to glow. Her once-golden, wavy hair transformed into a brilliant silver-white, and her soft red lips shifted to a delicate pink. She opened her eyes in a daze; her pupils now took on a cross shape with golden radiance and subtle swirling patterns.

  She exhaled a long, vacant sigh, and slowly, her body returned to normal.

  "How do you feel?" Nova inquired with concern.

  "I'm well," Alice replied, examining herself. "I feel as if I've basked in sunlight, my entire body is warm and comfortable."

  "Have you noticed any changes in your temperament?" Marvin frowned. "Historical records suggest that extraordinary ones who ingest Justiciar X may experience a brutal stripping away of humanity's darker aspects, leading to temporary psychological discomfort."