A Common Enemy

Chapter 63: A Common Enemy

William turned off his Strength Aura, glancing at Debris as it emitted a faint bluish glow. 'It seems I have truly grown stronger after digesting the potion. This energy is strange; it feels as if it could devour spirituality in some way.' He decided to ponder the nature of this new power later, as they were still in the middle of the street.

"Let's continue," William instructed, looking at his two subordinates, who had kept the ship's passengers at a safe distance during the fight. The passengers appeared pale and shaken, their perception of the world likely having changed drastically. Some gazed at him with admiration and respect, while others looked on in fear. William didn't particularly care about their thoughts as long as they didn't complicate matters.

Without further ado, the group resumed their journey to the ship, which wasn't far away. They managed to arrive without further intrusion. The ship's captain spotted them and quickly approached William.

"I heard the commotion a few moments ago. Did something serious happen?" he asked, his tone serious.

William shook his head. "It's not safe to be off the ship right now. Several incidents have occurred, so it's best for all passengers to stay here until morning."

The captain, having spent a long time at sea where supernatural events were not uncommon, understood the gravity of the situation. He nodded solemnly and quickly directed some attendants to prepare the cabins for the passengers.

Meanwhile, William approached Anna to inquire about the creature he had fought.

"Bansy Harbor hides some secrets that even I didn't know," she replied. "These secrets are the cause of the strange occurrences."

William pondered her words before she continued.

"I know you can feel it too. That sword of yours is far beyond an ordinary artifact; the connection it has with you is profound." Anna squinted at a specific spot in Bansy. "It's quite dangerous, even for me, although perhaps less so for you."

William pursed his lips. "Actually, I can only sense that something is wrong with the village. All those monsters seem connected and appear to have a common source."

Anna put a finger to her lips in a thoughtful pose. "Bansy is the birthplace of Medici. Even though he is dead, his aura continues to corrupt the people there. However, the true danger lies within the telegraph office."

William looked at her speechlessly. "You speak of the Red Angel of War so casually. Is it safe to mention his name?"

He recalled how he had mentioned Adam and Ouroboros on other occasions, but it hadn't crossed his mind at the time.

Anna waved her hand dismissively. "That dog is in pretty bad shape right now, and it's not like he can do anything to me."

William sighed at the lack of respect for such a legendary entity. "I still don't understand why you all pay so much attention to me. Is it because of the sword?" He pointed to Debris at his waist. "I'm surprised you haven't killed me yet to steal it."

At these words, there was a slight moment of silence during which William felt quite uncomfortable, though he thought it might be due to his difficulty communicating with girls, especially after being impaled by one.

"At first, I was just curious about what kind of person you were. People like me usually need to maintain certain worldly hobbies to retain a piece of humanity, you know?" She looked deeply at Bansy with some uncertainty. "Tell me, have you guessed who I am?"

William shook his head. "No, but I have some suspicions after this conversation." He was surprised at how calm he felt, sensing that she had no intention of killing him, so there was no need to get upset.

A snake suddenly slipped out of Anna's clothes and approached William's leg.

"Tell me, what do you think of the Gods?" she asked, looking at him expectantly. "I think you understand their nature after meeting the priest."

William glanced at the snake briefly before contemplating the question. "I... somehow feel that the concepts of good and evil are not well defined for them." The more he thought, the clearer the image formed in his mind. "They don't act without reason and don't seem to rely much on feelings toward others either. However, they coexist. Is it because there is a common enemy?"

"That's right. In fact, you have already encountered that enemy before." She replied, staring at him intently.

William, an avid reader in his past life, combined this with memories from his mission in White Cliff Town, leading him to a chilling conclusion. "I see, Outer Gods, right?" He asked rhetorically, already knowing the answer.

Anna glanced quickly at the cloudy night sky, apparently waiting for something. After a few seconds, she looked down and seemed relieved. "Indeed, not even this can corrupt you. You are a terrifying existence beyond all common sense. It's only natural that the priest and the Hanged Man have set their eyes on you." She let out a sigh, something that seemed far removed from her previous behavior. "It's not just your sword. You yourself are different from all of us, although I presume you don't know it yet."

The snake began to climb William's leg and stopped halfway, as if it were resting.

"I see, I think I understand. The Gods fight among themselves to achieve the greatest power, but they try not to weaken themselves too much because they must protect the Earth from the Outer Gods." He concluded. "Damn, this is a bummer. I suddenly feel a little sorry for them."

He looked directly at 'Anna' with some sadness, although she just giggled. "You really are adorable. Who would have imagined that I would ever see a low sequence Beyonder pitying Gods?" She suddenly moved a little closer to William, who looked at her nervously. "Anyway, I don't care about your identity now."

William looked at her, confused. "What are you talking about?" He had lost the thread of the conversation amid his musings and was stunned.

"About my interest in you. It used to be curiosity." Slowly, she moved closer to William's ear. "However, I'm more deeply interested in you now."

The snake began to uncoil from William's leg and quickly hid among 'Anna's' clothes.

"Wh-what?" A chill ran down his spine.

She looked at him with a smug smile. "That's it. We should let the Mandated Punishers take care of the rest. Neither you nor I will gain anything here today, so I'd rather go to sleep."

With nothing more to say, she quickly said goodbye and went to the cabin. William stood there, not knowing how to react for a couple of minutes.