Chapter 22

Godwin said, "A cup of black tea, please. Thank you."

Ansbillis replied, "Sorry, we don't have any."

Godwin took out a handkerchief from his jacket pocket and slowly wiped off the water stains on the coffee table. He held it under his nose and sniffed, "English black tea."

Ansbillis said, "Sometimes my pet urinates on it. You know, males like to shake off a bit."

Godwin's hand trembled as he looked up at him.

Ansbillis noticed his eyes, which were originally grayish-blue, not particularly beautiful but a common sight in England. However, at this moment, they had turned mysteriously golden-blue, as if a strange layer of gold covered the lake-blue eyes. "Are you going deaf?"

Godwin replied, "Not faster than you."

"I thought you had a genetic defect like some unfortunate cats." After his lover turned into a cat, he had looked up a lot of information about cats. Ansbillis turned and went into the kitchen.

Late autumn was passing, yet the Egyptian climate still felt like warm spring.

But Godwin was dressed warmly, with only his oily face exposed—a thick layer of wax-like substance. When he smiled, the light reflected differently off his cheeks.

Ansbillis quickly returned from the kitchen and placed a bottle of mineral water given at an exhibition on the coffee table. "I don't know if it's expired. Even if it is, it doesn't matter. After all, your body has been expired for so long."

Godwin twisted his hand on the cane and chuckled, "I'm glad to see you haven't changed at all. Still so annoying."

Ansbillis caught a glimpse of the restless cat's paw in the kitchen, dragged a chair and sat down in the middle, blocking it. "What do you want?"

Godwin said, "Just wanted to see an old friend. You're too nervous."

Ansbillis asked, "Should I believe you after you used black magic on me?"

Godwin smiled happily, "The effect was good, wasn't it? You fell for it."

Ansbillis said, "I'm sitting here perfectly fine."

Godwin put away his smile and said coldly, "I haven't congratulated you yet, Heaven's lapdog."

Ansbillis responded, "Sounds much fancier than being a friend of a black wizard."

"Friend?" Godwin sneered, "That's a wild idea! I have no friends, and no one is worthy of being my friend! This world, no, the Nine Realms are full of low-intelligence, low-emotional creatures of low ability. No one can be compared to me! Well, maybe there's one." He paused and said each word deliberately, "You call it a god."

Ansbillis replied, "Yes, one is called a god, the rest are called lunatics."

Godwin stared at him and said, "Don't forget, you were once friends with this lunatic."

Ansbillis retorted, "Maybe you should remember. You just said that this lunatic has no friends!"

The coffee table in front of Godwin suddenly flew up and collided with the ceiling before heavily crashing back down.

Ansbillis pushed himself and his chair two meters back, letting the coffee table fall to the ground, shattering into pieces.

"I made that myself, and the compensation will be more expensive than you can imagine," he said.

Godwin rose to his feet, leaning on his cane. His shoes crunched on the broken pieces of the coffee table, making a faint creaking sound. He grabbed his cane, tapped it on the ground, and stood tall with both hands gripping the handle. "Ansbillis Macavity, do you swear allegiance to Godwin, the Supreme God, to devote yourself wholly and never betray me?"

As a madman renowned in both the vampire world and the human realm, Ansbillis felt his horizons being refreshed. "Your surname is truly unique."

Godwin hesitated for a moment. "When you have served me faithfully for one hundred years, no, one thousand years, I will allow you to inherit my surname."

Ansbillis teased him, "What if I secretly change my identity card?"

"I will kill you!" Godwin had no intention of allowing anyone to share his supreme and unparalleled surname! Since he was the Supreme God, he was unique in heaven and earth.

Watching Godwin's confused state, Ansbillis felt both pity and relief.

If it weren't for Oceania, Ansbillis might have become the true successor to the "Supreme God."

...

Poor bachelor.

Ansbillis felt a sense of superiority.

Godwin misunderstood his silence as hesitation.

He eased his expression and smiled. "No need to be nervous. We are not fighting alone. We have a powerful army: angels, fallen angels, dwarves, titans, wizards, and, of course, vampires from various realms. We gather together for a noble ideal—to defeat the rulers of the Nine Realms and rise as masters!"

Ansbillis remarked, "Yes, that's why everyone hates the Anti-Nine Society."

"The Anti-Nine Society is no longer an accurate term. We now call ourselves the Supreme Society." Godwin said disdainfully, his aged skin creasing with each movement. "We are different from the Anti-Nine Society; it is not a banner that anyone can raise. Joining us requires strict tests, and, of course, I will nurture them to become lesser gods under my command. Don't worry, you and Zophy have already been chosen as the main deities."

Ansbillis ran his fingers over his chin, his gaze sharpening as he smiled. "It sounds like a tightly organized group. Could you introduce me?"

"Are you interested?" Godwin smirked, his weathered skin forming wrinkles. "I knew you would be." He lowered his head and glanced at the mineral water lying in the broken glass. As he reached down to pick it up, his movements suddenly froze.

Ansbillis asked, "What's wrong?"

Godwin stood up, staggering backward two steps. His hand swiftly reached into his pocket and pulled out a handkerchief to wipe his neck. The cloth was stained with large patches of blood, glaringly red.

"No! This can't be!" he screamed in anguish. "Zophy! Zophy!"

The roof was struck violently, creating a deep dent in the middle.

Ansbillis looked at the ceiling, shifting his body to the side. One second later, a massive jelly-like object plummeted from the roof, smashing a round hole in the floor.

Looking up through the hole.

The stars shone brightly. Tomorrow should be a good weather.

Godwin snapped back to his senses. "How did you do it?"

"Countless experiences of failures have taught me," Ansbillis instantly moved in front of him, holding a sharpening rod and slowly stabbing it towards his neck. "This is not the time to waste explaining the principles." He rotated the handle, searching for a comfortable position that maintained balance.

Godwin stared at him in disbelief, his eyes wide open, silently questioning everything that was happening.

Ansbillis released his grip, allowing the sharpening rod to be inserted into the new rack. "Don't move. Hang on. The rust removal speed of the lucky water is a bit slow, so your body will probably have to endure some suffering for a while. Now we can make a cup of tea and slowly explain the principles."

The black cat pushed out a tray with tea leaves, a kettle of hot water, and teacups.

Although both Godwin and Zophy were connected to the network, Ansbillis still didn't want it exposed to any danger, not even a tiny bit. He picked up the tray, hooked the black cat with his toes, and sent it into the kitchen, then closed the door.

Sounds of resentful scratching came from behind the door.

The coffee table shattered under Godwin's rage, leaving Ansbillis no choice but to place the teacup on a decorative cabinet. He brewed two cups of tea, placing one by Godwin's feet and holding the other one himself. "You're cautious. From the moment you entered until now, you've been meticulously guarding against contact with any objects. But there's one thing you can't defend against no matter what. Air."

"If your skin is sensitive enough, you can feel the abnormal heat in the room, like a steam room."

"The lucky water floats in the air, seeping into your collar, clinging to your neck, slowly permeating."

"How does the taste of the sharpening rod feel? Sorry, my actions may have been a bit rough."

Godwin's eyes darted around, looking at Zophy, who was immobilized by the "large jelly."

Ansbillis raised an eyebrow and walked to the side of the "large jelly." "Ah! I forgot to introduce. Oceania and I have reunited after a long separation, and we couldn't resist spending our honeymoon nearby. This is a method taught to me by an Egyptian black wizard. It was originally a basketball-sized ball placed on a slingshot. With a gentle pull, it would fly out and stick to the prey in the air, enveloping it. It is especially useful for bird-catching. He was right."

With a clang, the sharpening rod slipped from Godwin's throat, leaving a ping-pong ball-sized hole corroded by the happiness water. Immediately after, Godwin's body fell stiffly to the ground.

The kitchen door was gently pushed open, and a cat's nose squeezed through the small crack, followed by a deformed face. The door was pushed open, and the black cat shook its fur, hopping over with small, quick steps.

"Don't come any closer." Ansbillis stood in front of it with a serious expression.

The living room fell silent, not a sound could be heard.

Godwin's lifeless body lay on the ground, motionless.

The black wizard, who had caused so much bloodshed and chaos, ended his life so simply?

Even someone as arrogant as Ansbillis felt that things had gone a bit too smoothly. He took a few steps back and looked at another captive.

"Gelatin" was transparent, and even though the image was distorted, one could still make out the general movements. But Ansbillis didn't see any signs of panic, fear, anger, or hatred on his face... He was calm, with a hint of satisfaction in his eyes.

That was definitely not a good sign.

"Knock, knock, knock."

The slow and steady knocking on the door was like pebbles being thrown into a lake, causing ripples after ripples, stirring up hidden waves beneath the surface.

Ansbillis lifted his foot to open the door, but his pants were caught.

The black cat held onto his ankle with its front paws, its teeth biting into the fabric, and its hind legs swaying back and forth, adjusting its biting position with determination.

"Go to the kitchen," Ansbillis said.

The black cat, still biting onto his pants, twisted its head from side to side, and its hind legs squatted, trying to pull him back.

"Knock, knock, knock."

The knocking continued.

Ansbillis lowered his head and looked at the persistent black cat. "I don't mind taking off my pants in public."

The black cat froze.

Seizing the moment when it loosened its grip, Ansbillis picked it up, swiftly entered the dining room with Oceania on his back, and leaped out through the kitchen window.

Tonight, the moon was full.

The moon, like a silver platter, reflected on the surface of the sea. The sea rippled gently, shimmering with waves, and the moon in the water rose and fell with the water, layer upon layer, undulating. The two moons in the sky and the sea were so bright, brighter than any moon Ansbillis had seen before.

However, under the moonlight, by the side of the sea, there was a figure that shone even brighter than the moon tonight.

Those pure white, flawless wings emitted a dazzling radiance, yet unexpectedly not blinding. What shone brighter than the wings was the countenance of their owner. It was a face that made all the words used to describe it pale in comparison. With lowered eyes, beneath long curled lashes, there hid a serene blue reminiscent of a clear sky after the rain. The lips curved slightly, adorned with a gentle and purely friendly smile.

No matter how much the instincts of the vampires made them indifferent towards angels, in the face of this one, not a hint of animosity could arise within their hearts.

"It is impolite to exclude a friend." A deep masculine voice emanated from the direction of the wooden hut.

A middle-aged man, wearing a gentleman's hat and a black wool coat, strolled leisurely with his hands in his pockets, stepping on the sandy soil. He seemed to walk casually, yet not a speck of sand adhered to his shoes.

Zophy followed behind him, incessantly rubbing the gel-like substance stuck to her feathers, her gaze filled with resentment as she looked at Ansbillis.

Ansbillis slowly turned around. "It's you."

The middle-aged man smiled, tipping his hat. "The bird-catching sphere I sold you wasn't bad, right? You seem quite satisfied. Remember to give me a five-star review."

Ansbillis said, "Godwin."

In distant China, there was a rumored secret art called skin-switching, and Godwin clearly mastered this technique.

Godwin opened his arms and spun around in front of him. "How do I look? Do I resemble the time we first met, playing snooker together? As long as you don't cheat, we can have a great time."

Ansbillis replied, "Not as pleasing as before."

Godwin said, "Not just pleasing, but also handy." He made a poking motion forward.

Ansbillis remarked, "I thought you were a black wizard who upheld human dignity."

"Of course, I am!"

"But you abandoned your own body."

"But the body I'm using again is still human," Godwin said. "I call it 'rebirth.'"

Ansbillis stated, "Next time I encounter white wizards, I'll have them prepare some soul-specific potions."

"I'm afraid you'll be disappointed," Godwin retrieved a small box from his pocket. It didn't look flat, but when placed in Godwin's inner pocket, it appeared non-existent. He threw the box into the air, and as it reached the highest point of its arc, the lid opened automatically.

In the moonlight, the contents of the box were illuminated clearly.

Above a pile of black feathers, lay a small section of fine, shimmering silver-white hair.