Tear apart

Mithra used Enlightened Step to approach, ignoring the scratching of the surrounding monsters, reaching for the staff.

But the two Eternal Night Crystals seemed to be absorbing each other, making separation impossible.

Ignoring Mithra, the branch leader plunged into the rift, swallowed by the darkness. With more and more monsters appearing, Mithra found herself surrounded.

Rip!

As the branch leader entered the Realm of Eternal Night, the two crystals began to separate. He took one; Mithra held the other, embedded in the staff.

As they separated, the rift shrank, until it closed completely.

The Eternal Night Crystal was taken into the Realm of Eternal Night. Mithra, losing her grip, fell backward. The monsters on her body scattered.

The mansion was in chaos. Mithra stood up, activated Stabilize, stored the staff in her body, and began clearing out the monsters with her hammer.

She quickly dispatched them all. The maw happily began its feast.

Any escaped monsters would be dealt with by the Guard Corps.

The commotion Mithra had caused would surely have attracted them.

Sitting among the corpses, Mithra stared into space before using her maw to retrieve a Flesh Slime trying to escape through a hole in the wall.

"Mercy! Mercy!" A high-pitched voice, like a child's, shrieked. It was the Chrysalis member whose arm Mithra had severed.

"Why aren't you dead yet?" Mithra asked casually.

"Ugh..."

"Nevermind. Where's your leader? Why isn't he here?"

"Um..."

"Ugh, getting information is such a hassle. Eat him," Mithra said, offering the creature to the maw. The maw never refused a meal.

"Wait! Don't eat me! Everything else is negotiable!" the Slime shrieked.

The maw's tongues were already licking the Slime, seemingly enjoying the taste.

"Why did you come to Sun City?"

"...For the god's heart."

"The heart? Why did you work with the Night Hunters church? What kind of deal did you make?"

"The church contacted us. They wanted to use our Flesh Transmutation abilities to infiltrate Sun City, enter the lightless world, and retrieve a crystal similar to the one on their leader's staff."

"Did you find the crystal on his staff?"

"Yes."

"That sounds difficult. You've been through a lot."

"It has been tough. Hiding, moving around, it's all so dark. I'm starting to… ugh…"

"Tell me your name," Mithra suddenly asked.

"My name... uh... what was my name again?" The Flesh Slime was suddenly blank, seeming to realize they had forgotten something.

"I, I, I, I…" The Slime began trembling violently, limbs and organs sprouting chaotically.

"High-level Flesh Transmutation can do that. Too bad."

Before the Slime could fully transform into a cursed creature, Mithra offered it to the maw.

The small amount of flesh was just a snack, and there was no feedback.

A moment later, Mithra felt her bottom grow cold and collapsed. The maw had eaten the last of the monster's flesh, including its bottom.

After gently slapping the maw's tongue a few times, Mithra waited for the Guard Corps to arrive.

...

"Something must be wrong. I just went for a walk, I didn't do anything. I just took some dried meat from my neighbor's balcony this morning. I've done it before, and I didn't do anything else!"

The pregnant woman cried, clutching her belly.

Nino looked at Leo Duncan. "Are you sure your eyes aren't deceiving you?"

"My eye assessment is perfectly clear. You tested my inherent Unified Sense. Any other questions?" Leo Duncan said firmly.

Nino nodded.

Even though Leo Duncan had just helped, suddenly accusing an ordinary citizen of being a Flesh Transmutation believer wouldn't be easily believed.

But Leo Duncan quickly demonstrated his unique vision. Nino tested him, confirming his inherent Unified Sense.

His eyes, with their inherent Unified Sense, were documented in the Sanctuary as Pure Water Eyes. They possessed unparalleled observational skills; even a casual glance was more discerning than a thorough observation by a normal person.

Combined with the information Leo Duncan had provided, his credibility increased significantly.

"But there isn't a quick way to verify if someone is a Flesh Transmutation believer," Nino said.

Flesh Transmutation miracles were rare in Dreamland. Although not widely prohibited like on Planet Blue, their dangers and the difficulty of mastering them were well-known.

They didn't have a miracle that could easily determine if someone was being manipulated.

Soon, one of Nino's subordinates reported, "We've questioned the individual based on their identity and the network connections. Everything checks out."

Nino nodded, then looked at Leo Duncan. "It seems she's innocent."

"Tch," Leo Duncan said, annoyed.

A middle-aged man in simple clothes ran up, sweating. "Nino, what's wrong with my wife? She just went for a walk. She's been resting at home for days because she's about to give birth!"

"I'm sorry, we haven't finished investigating, but we'll have answers soon," Nino said, equally frustrated.

Nie Hong watched silently, feeling agitated. Then he remembered something and, without saying anything, left. No one stopped him.

Leo Duncan, lost in thought, frowned. "A blood test... No, Dreamland doesn't have such comprehensive medical records, and it's easy to suppress the activity in their blood. Wait... if the Flesh Transmutation believers' limbs are severed, they remain active for a while. That would be easier to check."

Nino immediately frowned. "Severed limbs? How many?"

"Let's start with a finger. Or, you know, an arm. That should be enough," Leo Duncan suggested.

The pregnant woman's husband was frantic. "What are you talking about?! A normal person wouldn't survive that! Nino, don't listen to him!"

Leo Duncan glared at him. "Flesh Transmutation believers infiltrated the city to cause chaos. They could already have the 'Chrysalis Heart'. Releasing that thing would be catastrophic. We're short on time. What's a little sacrifice?"

A tense silence followed.

After a moment, Leo Duncan, resolute, turned to the worried man. "If you're too merciful, I, an Enchanting Land citizen, will do it. If she's guilty, I'll pay whatever compensation is necessary."

He stepped forward.

The pregnant woman looked at him with tear-filled eyes.

Water trickled from his fingers, forming sharp blades.

Suddenly, the pregnant woman screamed.

Everyone was startled. Leo Duncan hadn't even touched her.

The pregnant woman collapsed. "My…stomach…it hurts so much…the baby…the baby's coming!"

With a cry, she vomited a large amount of blood. The excessive bleeding caused Leo Duncan's face to darken, and he sent a jet of water towards her head.

Rip!

Flesh tore. A grotesque baby with the face of a young man burst from the woman's abdomen.

With its arrival, a strange heartbeat echoed in everyone's ears.

The gushing blood surged forward. Nino quickly moved to protect Leo Duncan, his hands ablaze, blocking the flow.

The seemingly harmless blood splattered, causing a series of explosions.

Grotesque limbs sprouted from the baby's back, and several vanished into the building. Nino shouted, "Pursue!"

The guards reacted, chasing after the baby.

The pregnant woman's husband rushed to her side, gently embracing her, ignoring the blood, and calling her name, tears streaming down his face.

Leo Duncan stared at the scene, lost in thought.

It hadn't been the pregnant woman...but the baby?

Rapid footsteps approached. Nie Hong returned, along with Salomo, the Xyrin Empire's ambassador to the Andemiriya Sanctuary.

Nie Hong was unsure what to do, but he had a positive impression of the Sanctuary. He decided to ask them for help, especially since he knew they had already helped Mithra.

Arriving at the scene, he was also confused.

Salomo's usually gentle face was serious. He quickly went to the pregnant woman, his hands glowing with his patterns as he touched her. A light enveloped her damaged body.

"...Her flesh is depleted. Her body is affected by the Wandering God's power. She's undergone involuntary Flesh Transmutation and is losing life force… I can only stabilize her condition. Nie Hong, help me take her to the Sanctuary. Let's see if we can find someone skilled in Flesh Transmutation to assist with treatment. I'll try contacting them,"

Salomo spoke rapidly. Nie Hong, unable to ask Leo Duncan anything, helped carry the pregnant woman to the Sanctuary. The woman's husband followed closely.

Leo Duncan was left alone.

He stood alone, slowly covering his face with his hand, his fingertips gently touching his eyes.