The Record of Unusual Creatures

Hao Ren had no idea what had happened during his travel from the “outside world” to the Collow dimension. But from the words of Calaxus, he was pretty sure that his ‘crossing’ had triggered an observable phenomenon, which the Sanctum people saw.

He made some careful calculations based on the investigation team’s departure time from Sanctum and found that it coincided with the time he fell into the Cassouin Grand Temple.

Things had taken a dramatic turn and caught Calaxus by surprise. At first, the high-ranking monk was still pondering how he would across the danger-laden wilderness and locate the lost ancient temple, the next moment, the target of his mission, Hao Ren, was already standing right in front of his eyes.

“Seriously?” Calaxus could not believe what he heard. “Did you really come out from the Cassouin Grand Temple?”

“That’s true, I woke up there,” Hao Ren replied while his mind was racing, trying to decide whether to continue using his cover as an ancient guardian before this true Sanctumese.

Hao Ren decided against it. Firstly, he used the name of the ancient guardian to ease his movement in the Kingdom of Taros and at that time, he also did not have the opportunity to tell Veronica about his true identity. But now, he no longer needed this convenience.

Calaxus was here to look for a miracle, and Hao Ren, the stranger from the outside world, was the miracle the high-ranking monk was searching for.

Of course, the more important reason was that Hao Ren knew it would be difficult to pretend in front of the native Sanctumese. What if Calaxus could smell him out? Hao Ren thought.

The high-ranking monk continued to look at Hao Ren suspiciously. “Why did you appear in that place?”

“Did you know how Alpha appeared on a floating island?” Hao Ren pointed at Lily, who was kneeling on the ground trying to gorge out a stone from the altar as a souvenir. Her ears flickered when she heard someone mentioning her name. “Arf?”

Calaxus’ brows knit together. “Alpha said she came from a faraway place and lost her way. When she woke up, she found herself already on the floating island. Ahem. She has always been vague in her words.”

Hao Ren spread out his hand. “It’s very simple; because I come from the same place that she comes from—outside of Collow.”

Calaxus was stunned.

“Unbelievable. Can you prove what you say?” The high-ranking monk became even more skeptical than before. “At least prove that you have woken up in the Cassouin Grand Temple.”

Hao Ren scratched his head. “The trouble is that no one would believe a lie and even the truth here. Can this world leave a space for the honest? It would take me a great deal of trouble even explain the multi-universe to you. But I can prove that I have gone to the Cassouin Grand Temple. Here you go!”

As Hao Ren spoke, he released an autonomous robot from the dimensional pocket. The robot raised its tentacles and projected a set of holograms in the air. Earlier, Hao Ren had captured the images in the Cassouin Grand Temple.

“Unless you have not seen the Cassouin Grand Temple before, you should know it when you see it.”

Calaxus looked at these holographic images with astonishment. He had not been to the temple before, but he got all the information about the Cassouin Grand Temple, from detailed written records and stone rubbing of images from the pope before he left Sanctum. So he knew how the temple looked, and the image before his eyes matched what he knew.

“This… this is indeed the temple,” the high-ranking monk muttered. “The murals and sculptures are the same as in the records. But whose hand is this? What does this hand gesture mean?”

While the hologram was displaying its few last images, in one of the images, a hand making a V sign, suddenly appeared at the bottom of the picture.

Hao Reng hemmed a couple of times and quickly turned off the holographic display. “That’s my hand. It means important information, but I can’t explain it to you.”

Hao Ren’s heart missed a beat; had he switched the hologram off two seconds later, the high-ranking monk would see him standing on the porch of the temple and posing like a dumbass tourist.

Lily looked up and began to say loudly, “Oh, Mr. Landlord, isn’t that—”

Hao Ren glared at Lily. “Shut up! Otherwise, there will be no more meat for you!”

Lily’s ears drooped. “Arf.”

“Okay, let’s not harp on the details. So now is your mission accomplished?” Hao Ren looked at Calaxus and embarrassedly steered away from the topic. “What are you going to do next? Take me to Sanctum?”

Calaxus thought for a while and looked at Hao Ren, feeling unsure. “If you are really that ‘light’ that the pope has said, how would you save the holy mountain Asurmen?”

“That depends on what troubles your sacred mountain has encountered,” Hao Ren said. “You may not believe it, but I’m indeed an expert in fixing (blowing up) divine artifacts.

Seeing that the high-ranking monk still hesitated, Hao Ren pointed to Lily again. “Look at the alpha, the Light of Order in her body is already powerful enough to protect millions of troops across the Black Forest. But she is my house sitter.”

While saying, he secretly winked at Lily, hoping that the husky maiden would cooperate. But without waiting for Hao Ren to finish, Lily was already nodding her head. The dog maiden had not been paying attention to what her landlord said; she had zoned out.

Calaxus was startled and suspicious at the same time when seeing the alpha’s reaction. The high-ranking monk then nodded to Hao Ren and said, “We shall urgently return to Sanctum.”

Hao Ren’s brows arched. “By airship?”

“I am afraid that it would be too late,” said the high-ranking monk. “We have never expected the situation in Sanctu to deteriorate so badly. The plan of the investigation team would take two months, but now it seems that we are already late. The storm of Chaos has blocked all the continental portals, taking airship is the only option now—”

Before Calaxus finished, a cold and hoarse female voice came from the side. “I have an idea.”

Hao Ren turned his head around and saw a woman shrouded in a black burqa standing at the door. He had no idea how the woman came.

“Lady Gloom?” Hao Ren exclaimed in surprise. “How come you are here?”

Calaxus was even more surprised than Hao Ren was. “Who are you? Where are the guards on the outside?”

“The guards are fine. I didn’t alarm them.” Lady Gloom’s hood turned a little as if she was glancing at Calaxus. “The high-ranking cardinal of the goddess, Mr. Calaxus. I’m happy to see you safe and sound.”

The high-ranking monk saw that the woman was with Hao Ren, but he was still wondering. “Do you know me?”

“This is the secret agent of King of Taros. Her name is Lady Gloom.” Hao Ren said quickly. “She is looking for you guys, the Sanctum investigators.”

“The secret agent of the King of Taros?” The high-ranking monk frowned and looked at lady Gloom. “Did you say that you have a faster way to send us back to Sanctum?”

“Of course. But I first need your cooperation.” Lady Gloom nodded, and then looked around. Her voice finally had some emotion—it was an undisguised disgust. “But first we have to get the hell out of this place. I don’t like the air here.”

“My camp is in the north. Everyone can go there to take a rest,” Hao Ren said quickly.

No one had objected. This place that has been infested by the cultists and forces of Chaos made everyone feel uncomfortable. After gathering all men in and around the Horgus’ Hut as well as those waiting outside the tearing point, they immediately left the ominous hilly area.

While on the way, Lily curiously circled Lady Gloom and sniffled from time to time. The rude behavior had irked Hao Ren. “What are you doing?” he asked.

Lily came back up to Hao Ren. “Mr. Landlord, she doesn’t smell like a human.”

“How a human smells like?” Hao Ren smacked the husky to stop her from bothering others. “Did I not tell you to stay at the camp?” Hao Ren asked Lady Gloom.

“I don’t work under you,” the mysterious secret agent of the king replied. “I sensed a strong energy conflict, so I came to check it out.”

Hao Ren just nodded and could not care less of asking the strange woman too many questions. But in mind, Hao Ren was wondering.

It was quite a distance traveling from the camp in the north of the hills to the Horgus’ Hut here. Hao Ren was able to catch up with the battle only because he was driving his magic-modified Type 59 tank. But Lady Gloom seemed to have to take a short while to cover the distance. How did the mysterious woman do that?”

Teleportation?

When Lady Gloom said she could bring people to Sanctum, did she mean she was going to use teleportation?

However, did the storm of Chaos not block the use of inter-continental teleportation?

I seemed that there were more secrets to the secret agent of the king than met the eye.

Deep in chaotic darkness of the Sea of Carnos, a dark cloud was enveloping Sanctum.

The light shield of Order above the mainland was close to crumbling down, and the gloomy sky seemed to bespeak the fall of the long night. Even the towering crystal holy mountain of Asurmen was dull with only little glimmers left on the wall of the crystal mountain. There was nothing glorious about it now.

A cold wind was whizzing across the land, and black rain, as if mixed with curses and malice, began to drizzle. Under the dome, towns had few pedestrians on the streets. Every door and window shut. Lamps could not dispel the chill in the air but make the world looked even colder and lonelier than ever.

At the foothill of the holy mountain, the gate of the Basilica Icon was closed. The grand prayer hall, used to be packed with people, was now empty. This sacred place, no longer as glorious as before, had only some dim light dots as if stars at dusk on the dome.

Pope Auguste VII, dressed in a robe, wearing a triple crown, was standing quietly in front of the sacred platform. A thick prayer book spread out in front of him as he seemed to be in prayer and contemplation.

Suddenly, a dark-red rune appeared on the open ground behind the pope. The rune swiftly revolved, reorganized, and formed a swirling vortex with the black mist on the inside where the dark power of Chaos continuously surged.

Two figures, a man and a woman, fell out of the whirlpool. The black fog behind them seemed to stretch out many arms to drag them back. But as the runes dissipated, these arms and black mist could only retreat into the darkness, leaving behind a series of terrifying cries.

August VII seemed not to notice things that happened behind him but continued to look at the prayer book in front of him. Until he finished a chapter, he looked up slightly.

“The end of the day is coming,” the old pope said in a whisper.

“The end of the day has arrived,” Count Willie placed his hand on his chest and said in a low voice.