Bizarre Voyage: Summoning The Fourth Crisis

”They build a cage of faith and forge a whip from the flames of war. They strip life of its freedom, taming powerful husks into loyal hounds.”

”They are seen as ominous and are despised by all. Thus, they are called Demon Summoners...”

Noxia slowly recounted the memories she had recalled.

After she finished, she looked at Luo Ge, a trace of worry in her eyes.

”Mr. Luo Ge, these are notes from heretics. The knowledge within is not accepted by the world...”

She was hesitant, as if wanting to persuade Luo Ge against learning its secrets.

But Luo Ge wasn’t surprised. Instead, he gave Noxia’s words serious thought, combining them with the information he’d read to form a hypothesis.

”So, a Demon Summoner is a class similar to a Beast Tamer or a Summoner?”

”...Yes. A Demon Summoner’s greatest Ability is commanding tamed husks to fight for them. And, based on the contents of these notes, it seems they can also fuse with the husks,” Noxia said.

”Any husk will do? What’s the maximum number they can command?” Luo Ge immediately pressed for details.

But Noxia replied apologetically, ”I’m sorry, Mr. Luo Ge. I don’t know. But perhaps the notes will say.”

”I can’t quite understand it, so I need you to explain it to me,” Luo Ge said.

”...I really think it would be better for you to avoid such heretical knowledge...”

After much hesitation, she still tried to dissuade him.

But Luo Ge was unmoved. ”Noxia,” he said calmly, ”if I’m not mistaken, Demon Summoners are considered heretics because they hunt their own kind, right?”

As he spoke, he glanced outside the Qi Xin Chapel. The border of darkness was still starkly visible, and the low growls of monsters continued to echo.

”But in this world, there are only monsters left...”

Hearing his words, Noxia fell silent.

Luo Ge pulled his gaze back and looked at her again. ”I may not belong here, but I don’t want to live in such a desperate place forever.”

”I might not be able to reshape the world, but at the very least, I must find the truth.”

”If you’re willing to help me, then you must abandon your old ways of thinking.”

If you are unwilling to abandon them, then you can stay here forever.

Luo Ge did not say this aloud.

But his calm gaze said it all.

A hint of struggle flashed in Noxia’s eyes.

This contradicted everything she used to believe.

Even though she had lost most of her past memories, she still had an instinctive aversion to so-called ”heresy.”

After a long internal struggle, Noxia glanced at the peculiar Dagger in her hand.

Though her former memories were still a blur, she could faintly feel that this was something she had once cherished, something she had served.

”I...”

She started to speak, but stopped. Her gaze fell upon the flickering flame of the Spirit Candle, and at last, her expression grew resolute.

She pursed her lips, stepped before Luo Ge, clasped her hands to her chest, and bowed to make her vow.

”...Mr. Luo Ge, I, Noxia, hereby swear on my life and my Soul Fire that I will help you... find the truth.”

”Thank you.”

Luo Ge smiled faintly and, imitating Noxia, clasped his hands to his chest and nodded slightly in response.

Of course, when Noxia performed the gesture, she would also turn slightly and curtsy, a movement that accentuated her feminine lines and appeared incredibly graceful.

But such a move was obviously not suited for a grown man like him.

Seeing this, Noxia blinked in surprise, then covered her mouth and let out a light laugh.

Then, she reached out a pale hand to adjust Luo Ge’s arm, making the posture look sharper and more decisive, and personally demonstrated it for him.

”...Like this.”

Luo Ge nodded and cleared his throat. ”I’ve got it. Now, about these notes... I’ll be relying on you.”

”It would be my honor, Mr. Luo Ge.”

Noxia smiled and began to explain the detailed contents of the Demon Summoner’s Notes to Luo Ge.

And so, witnessed by the Candlefire in this lonely, mad world, the trust between them finally deepened...

...

Li Miao’s group continued their exploration.

Nearly four to five hours had passed, yet they were only about halfway through their survey.

And this was just for a large swath of the southeastern sea.

Of course, that was partly because they were being so thorough.

They encountered a few groups of monsters along the way, but it was nothing unusual. Some of them had even appeared in the waters near Candle Island.

SPLASH! Crafty Frog and Venerable Lique resurfaced.

”HUFF... HUFF...”

After gasping for breath, Crafty Frog flopped onto the Spirit Fire Raft, seemingly exhausted.

”Cough... huff... Faraway, the pressure gets stronger the deeper you go. The seafloor’s dropping off, and I’ve hit a cliff face.”

”I can try to go deeper, but it’ll take a huge amount of Physical Strength. I wonder if it’d be easier after activating Warfire.”

He took a Recovery Wax Block from his wrist and popped it into his mouth. Most of his fatigue instantly vanished.

”Found something unexpected.”

Venerable Lique, looking very excited, carefully placed a block of white, translucent coral he was cradling onto the Spirit Fire Raft.

[Air Coral (Large)]

[Type: Consumable]

[Description: A piece of Coral that periodically releases bubbles.]

”Isn’t this the coral that was stuffed in that many-handed monster’s corpse?”

Li Miao keenly pointed out.

”Yeah. According to the monster’s description, this thing was probably used as a tool to prolong torture.”

”Don’t let the Storyteller know, or he’ll probably be able to milk another video out of it,”

Crafty Frog said. He was clearly acquainted with the Storyteller.

”What’s the use of this thing? We dissolve in water, so we can’t go into the sea,” Li Miao said, shaking his head. Then he griped, ”Why isn’t there any treasure down here? No Treasure Chests or anything? Even Guagua fished one up before...”