Chapter 90: Unhesitatingly Stabbing the Former 'Divine Being'

If there’s one thing most valuable in this world to Duan Wenxuan, it would be these mutants and unique items. So when Nelson presented three mutants, Duan Wenxuan promptly took them. Sensing Duan Wenxuan’s eagerness, Nelson astutely guided him to a secret room within the branch.

After everyone left, Duan Wenxuan immediately opened all three boxes.

The first box contained surprisingly a single flower with seven petals, each of a different color. The flower looked incredibly fresh, as if just plucked from a vibrant tree. Inside the box, there was also a small card briefly describing the flower’s abilities and origin.

This item was obtained during a monster-related incident and, due to its colors, had been temporarily named the seven-colored flower. Its fusion method involved ingestion - simply swallowing the whole flower sufficed. The ability granted by fusion allowed control over the blooming and wilting of any flowers. This effect… could potentially be used for showboating purposes.

The reverse effect was that the fused person’s body would continuously sprout these colorful flowers. The more frequently it was used, the more flowers would bloom. Eventually, once their entire body became covered with seven-colored flowers, they would transform into a pile of foul-smelling, decaying flesh and die irreversibly.

Duan Wenxuan curiously sniffed the flower - it had quite a pleasant scent.

Honestly, this mutant item had limited practical use, but there might be situations where it could complement his abilities. Most Nightwatchers would not fuse with it due to its severe side effects and weak power. However, for Duan Wenxuan, it didn’t matter; after all, adding one more flower wouldn’t take up much space.

There was an additional note in the description of the seven-colored flower: during fusion, its characteristics tend to favor females, particularly young and beautiful ones, making the fusion process smoother for them.

Duan Wenxuan dismissed it as nonsense.

In his hands, whether the flower liked it or not, it had no choice. Today, he would make this blossom change its preferences.

Next, Duan Wenxuan looked at the second box, which contained an incredibly pitch-black egg named ‘Egg of Humanity’. The Night Church has some standardized naming conventions for these mutants, typically based on their appearance or distinctive features, aiming for simplicity and clarity.

To hatch this egg, one had to place it against their heart continuously for three days. The creature that hatched would vary for each person. It represented something deeply desired yet suppressed within the individual’s inner self, and its effects on the hatchling’s owner were also distinct.

The Human Nature Egg posed significantly greater danger than the seven-colored flower, necessitating the inclusion of a palm-sized holy artifact within the box, specifically designed to suppress it.

Upon opening the third box, Duan Wenxuan found a pair of delicate wings. Once fused, invisible wings would unfurl from the Fusionist’s back, allowing flight. However, the reverse effect was such that with increased usage, the Fusionist would gradually transform into a bird-like being, ultimately losing all human intelligence and becoming entirely bestial.

With the aid of his gate symbol, Duan Wenxuan could safely neutralize these items and achieve complete fusion without fearing their potential consequences.

Approximately an hour later, when Nelson saw Duan Wenxuan again, he observed the esteemed saint nodding approvingly at him.

“Not bad.” Duan Wenxuan retrieved the paper figurine, instructing it to assist Qiao Si with further psychological intervention. Additionally, using the Twisted Eye, he absorbed some accumulated negative energy from Qiao Si’s body during this time. This served as a reward for Qiao Si’s diligence in obtaining the three mutants.

Qiao Si could feel a sudden sense of ease in his body, and the ‘tongue’ that had been stirring slightly over the past few days once again fell silent. This immediately dispelled any lingering worries he had.

He had a premonition that this state would persist for at least three months!

For ordinary people, three months might not seem long, but to a Nightwatcher with only a few years left to live, it felt incredibly ‘prolonged’.

Ignoring Qiao Si’s joy and gratitude, Duan Wenxuan directly instructed him to bring Windsor over.

Upon seeing Windsor, even Duan Wenxuan was taken aback. She appeared as a remarkably soft and round… flesh ball. Her hair, eyebrows, and all traces of body hair were completely gone, giving her the look of an inflated balloon, both eerie and terrifying. Windsor seemed restrained, with streams of blood flowing from her ears.

Qiao Si explained briefly: Windsor possessed unique sensory abilities; she could listen to everyone’s inner thoughts and simultaneously create psychic storms capable of instantly rendering a person insane.

Special devices were inserted into each of her ears, damaging her eardrums and preventing their repair, thus disrupting her ability to listen. Without being able to focus on others’ inner voices, she naturally couldn’t generate psychic storms.

This must have been excruciating for Windsor, as upon seeing Duan Wenxuan, she detected eerie laughter.

“Who are you… The Night Church will not spare you! Where’s Vena?!” Vena wailed fiercely.

In truth, even Windsor was somewhat uncertain about the situation here. She couldn’t comprehend why Qiao Si would secretly harm her upon their arrival. More alarming was that Qiao Si acted openly, showing no hesitation or concern for others’ presence.

This left Windsor feeling utterly despairing, indicating that it wasn’t just an issue with Qiao Si but rather a problem affecting the entire Westphalia region. Something had changed, or perhaps it was being controlled by some unseen force.

Windsor harbored suspicions about monstrous incidents, knowing well not to underestimate them. Large-scale events leading to the devastation of entire cities were not unheard of.

Otherwise, why would vast stretches of suburban areas lie idle? Everyone understood that land equaled wealth. It was precisely due to a shortage of Nightwatchers; despite constructing formidable cities, without their covert protection against monsters, these cities could descend into hell on earth at any moment.

“All right, stop wailing.” Duan Wenxuan tapped on the silver cage imprisoning Windsor, as silver inherently suppresses the power conferred by mutants to some extent.

Windsor glared menacingly at Duan Wenxuan.

Duan Wenxuan smiled, “Join us?”

Nelson, more articulate than Qiao Si, received Duan Wenxuan’s approval and swiftly approached. He gently removed one of the devices from Windsor’s ear, then began proselytizing about the Universal Church.

After several minutes, Windsor looked at Duan Wenxuan with a peculiar expression.

“The Universal Church?” Without even speaking aloud, she silently mocked the idea of fertility gods or such. After all, Nelson and his group were not fools. The fact that the entire Westphalian branch secretly joined suggests that the deity they speak of is not just a fraudulent scheme for money.

“Yes, our divine being can extend your lifespan and restore you somewhat to normalcy.”

Windsor licked her lips; it would be foolish to say she wasn’t tempted. She was once an elegant and beautiful noblewoman, and the internal anguish and pain caused by her transformation were unimaginable.

Windsor had already lost all her friends, and at times, she even envied Vena. At least on the surface, Vena still maintained her youthful appearance, despite her limbs gradually becoming stiff and puppet-like. Windsor’s situation was different; her once beautiful long hair had completely fallen out. The noble young ladies who were once friendly with her, along with her suitors and even her parents, now viewed her as a monster and avoided her at all costs.

All these experiences led to Windsor developing an extremely extreme and disturbed personality. Once a noble maiden afraid to harm a chicken, she now found pleasure in indiscriminately taking lives.

She had lost hope for herself, fully aware that her fate would likely be death amidst madness. However, amidst this despair, a glimmer of hope seemed to emerge.

“If it could… restore me, heh heh… I would agree to anything.” Windsor grinned widely, revealing her vividly red tongue, and let out an exaggerated laugh.

Having witnessed individuals like Qiao Si, Duan Wenxuan was accustomed to Windsor’s insanity. Unless one possessed extraordinary resilience, transforming into such a state between human and monstrous inevitably leads to madness.

Without hesitation, Duan Wenxuan directed the Twisted Eye to absorb some of the accumulated negative energy from within Windsor’s body.

This action left Windsor utterly astonished once again.

The Twisted Eye possessed such capability, but it came at the cost of one life for another. She had known that the Twisted Eye was originally intended for clergyman Nelson in Westphalia. This artifact served as a last resort measure; if ever a Nightwatcher completely lost their sanity and fell under the control of a mutant, the Twisted Eye could absorb its power to resolve the crisis.

However, the absorbed abilities would eventually feedback into the Fusionist’s body, making its use essentially a trade-off with one’s own life. Who would willingly accept such a risk? Moreover, excessive reliance on the Twisted Eye could trigger severe anomalous events. Using it carelessly was akin to tempting fate.

Yet Duan Wenxuan treated this task as casually as eating or drinking. His left eye gradually turned black before slowly returning to normal. Unless closely examined, his left eye appeared almost identical to his right. However, upon closer inspection, one would notice that Duan Wenxuan’s right eye had brown pupils, while his left eye displayed a deep cosmic darkness.

Windsor shuddered, feeling genuinely frightened.

Who exactly was Duan Wenxuan… Could he truly be a saint who has witnessed divine beings?

“Alright, considering you brought three mutants here.”

The shackles around Windsor were released, allowing her limbs freedom. Immediately, she pulled out something lodged in her ear, grimacing from the pain.

However, she couldn’t dwell on it and immediately placed her hands on her stomach. Previously, her entire body resembled a balloon about to burst, but now it had significantly deflated. No longer as round and bloated, she became merely a plumper individual.

Still unattractive, but at least she looked more human now. At first glance, people wouldn’t perceive her as a monster anymore. Additionally, the constant painful sensation of impending explosion had vanished.

“For now, this is all I can do. I need you to continue serving the Universal Church. Just like Qiao Si, if you satisfy me, I will restore you to your original form.”

Windsor contentedly touched her arms and face, letting out a relieved laugh. “As you command, Saint. Rest assured, time will prove that I will be your most devout follower.”

For a beauty-conscious girl, nothing was more enticing than regaining her youthful appearance.

Windsor’s voice carried both joy and a hint of malice towards something else. From this moment on, she became the most devoted believer of the Universal Church. Simultaneously, she unhesitatingly directed her full malicious intent towards the Night Church.

This likely mirrored the thoughts of Qiao Si and others before her; once presented with a genuine chance to return to normalcy, they showed no restraint in demonstrating their true betrayal.