Chapter Twenty-Six: Mephistopheles

"The Unbroken..."

A figure draped in a black robe emerged from the shadows above the hall, trailed by three bizarre hounds, each possessing eight singular eyes—it was Xia Xiu, who had followed the shared location.

"BIO-202 model?" Dorn, a man with an ugly face but a hulking physique, stepped forward. His body began to swell, muscles and veins writhing frantically, while his teeth grew dense and jagged, resembling those of a shark.

Dorn and Harry had long since sensed the intruder’s presence; after all, they were the only two believers present connected to the Flesh-worshipping lineage.

Xia Xiu turned to face Dorn and spoke again: "Man-Eater of God—Soldier."

"Kid, you know quite a lot, don't you?"

Dorn lunged, closing the distance to Xia Xiu in an instant. He swung a massive palm toward Xia Xiu’s head.

*Hiss—snap—*
*Snap—snap—*

Under Xia Xiu’s mental command, the three BIO-202 models intercepted Dorn. Two of them clamped their razor-sharp teeth onto Dorn’s arms and legs, immediately injecting a supernatural toxin. The third BIO-202 latched onto Dorn’s neck with a death grip.

"Annoying pests!"

Dorn flung off the two clinging to his limbs, then reached up to grab the BIO-202 at his throat, opening his gaping maw to bite it to death. Just as his teeth brushed the creature’s fur, a series of indigo crystals materialized and shot directly into his mouth.

*Bang!*

Dorn was sent flying back, slamming into a pillar. Dust billowed into the air.

"Pah, pah—" Dorn spat out the crushed crystal shards, shook his head, and stood up, glaring forward.

The three BIO-202s stood with green saliva dripping from their jaws, teeth bared. Xia Xiu’s right side was now encased in indigo crystals, with three spikes protruding from his upper back and one from his right chest.

Partial Siliconization.

Xia Xiu’s current EVE particle reserves were insufficient for high-intensity combat, so he had to conserve them. Besides, he wasn't here to fight today.

"Pethrosapin? Transmutation, the Third of Return..." Seeing Xia Xiu’s partially siliconized state, Harry immediately deduced his path.

"Hahaha! Things are getting interesting. Kid, that stuff you spat out tasted pretty good. Give me more, let me—"

Dorn’s wide, blood-stained mouth curled into a mocking grin. Before he could finish his taunt, a cluster of massive indigo crystal spikes erupted from the ground, piercing his abdomen and pinning him in mid-air.

Siliconization: Ground Spike!

"You mother—!" Dorn bit down on the crystals, shattering them enough to break free. He dropped to the floor, ripped the shards from his gut, and threw them aside.

As the wounds on his abdomen began to heal rapidly, he glared at Xia Xiu with bloodshot eyes. He stomped his right foot, cracking the floor, and launched himself toward Xia Xiu like a bolt from a crossbow.

Xia Xiu entered full Siliconization, his hands morphing into blades as he braced for the impact.

"Enough!"

A thunderous reprimand echoed through the hall. Suddenly, several crimson vipers shot up from the floor, coiling tightly around Dorn. Xia Xiu was momentarily staggered by the sudden sonic blast—the Pethrosapin form was vulnerable to acoustic attacks.

"We are all believers of His vast domain, followers of Ion," Harry chided them. "We are brothers who should be helping one another. How can you resort to fratricide?"

Seeing the "good cop" step in, Xia Xiu deactivated his Siliconization. New recruit joins, the good-cop-bad-cop routine—it was an old tradition.

"Tch." Dorn grumpily retracted his swollen form, his eyes still fixed on Xia Xiu with malice.

Behind his mask, Xia Xiu narrowed his eyes, suppressing his murderous intent toward Dorn. Now was not the time to fight, and he couldn't defeat him yet anyway.

The Man-Eater of God was one of the eight paths of the Flesh, patron to soldiers (especially those who defend the faith), self-sacrifice, and the contempt for gods and their earthly proxies. It was one of the more inhuman paths of the Flesh; as the name suggested, it involved eating. Especially for the Soldier path, they often consumed human flesh—raw. Given the combat prowess Dorn had displayed, Xia Xiu was certain he had eaten his fair share.

"My brother, where do you hail from, and what brings you here?" Harry approached Xia Xiu.

Xia Xiu looked at the old man with wariness. This elder was the most troublesome of them all; he was an Unbroken.

The Unbroken—patron to craftsmen and the triumph of enduring suffering through labor. They were the most balanced of the eight paths and boasted a success rate for the Divine Feast twice that of any other path.

Xia Xiu did not answer. Instead, he raised his right hand and summoned a spiraling Seal of Ion.

"I am merely passing through. Having received the calling, I came to investigate."

Seeing the Seal of Ion, Harry’s expression turned solemn. "So, you are a 'Chain-Breaker.' My dear brother, your arrival is the will of Ion. Forgive our rudeness. As you know, even brothers of the same sect may have their misunderstandings."

"Mm."

Harry invited Xia Xiu into the hall and introduced him to the congregation, declaring him one watched by Ion—a "Chain-Breaker" and "Bond-Breaker" like Ion himself. He explained their duty: to walk the earth and spread the light of Sin-Eating (the Flesh).

"My dear brother, may I know your name?" Harry asked.

"Mephisto," Xia Xiu replied with a smile.

"Is that so..." Harry peered at the black-robed figure with his dim, aged eyes.

"I have a question as well," Xia Xiu continued. "Do you know of the Yaldabaoth construct that escaped into the Fog City?"

"Naturally. That is why we have gathered here." Harry was not surprised by Xia Xiu’s knowledge of 4-331.

"You have found it?" Xia Xiu asked curiously.

"No. The target is consciously evading us," Harry replied, shaking his head.

"Why would a Yaldabaoth construct avoid us?" Xia Xiu frowned. He had assumed 4-331 had been contained by the local Flesh-worshippers, but it seemed they had no information on it either.

"I suspect it has to do with the person who brought it out of the prison," Harry speculated.

*09, huh...*

Xia Xiu fell into deep thought. It seemed his plan to play the double agent would have to be delayed.

"Come with me. I have something to show you." Harry led Xia Xiu toward the back courtyard. Dorn followed close behind, gesturing a throat-slitting motion at Xia Xiu, which Xia Xiu ignored.

When Xia Xiu saw what Harry had brought him to see, his pupils constricted involuntarily.

"This is...!?"