Standing on the train platform, Eros glanced sideways at Undine, who was standing elegantly beside him. "Nervous?" he asked casually.
Undine’s small face betrayed a hint of excitement. "A little. I’ve never been to a Sin Realm before."
Eros curled his lips in indifference. "There isn't much to see. The atmosphere is quite depressing."
Just then, Joanie, who was standing next to Undine, chimed in. Her beautiful eyes held a trace of curiosity. "How are your preparations? Did your family provide any Sealed Artifacts?"
The Church placed no restrictions on this assessment. A powerful family background was considered a part of one's strength, so students were permitted to bring any items they could use. Naturally, this was highly unfriendly to students from commoner backgrounds, but who cared? There was no such thing as "fairness" in the mystical world. Why should others be required to stand on the same starting line as you? If you wanted to change your circumstances, your only option was to survive at all costs and serve the Church as best you could; only then might the Church grant you what you desired.
Hearing Joanie’s question, Eros gave a light chuckle. "We prepared one."
Joanie was stunned. "Only one? No way!"
For this assessment, her family had provided her with two Grade 3 Sealed Artifacts, both with relatively weak negative side effects. In her mind, the support Eros and his sister received should have been far greater. They belonged to such a massive clan, and with the heir himself heading into danger, how could there be only one?
Seeing Joanie’s look of disbelief, the corners of Eros’s mouth tilted upward. He played the part of the mysterious eccentric. "You’ll find out once we enter the Sin Realm."
Estelle had indeed prepared numerous Sealed Artifacts for them, including the Gate of the Spirit World. The idea was that if they encountered true peril, they could simply open the gate and evacuate the Sin Realm immediately.
However, carrying too many Sealed Artifacts was a hassle. Each one required a specific sealing ritual to suppress its negative effects. Carrying a mountain of bags would be cumbersome and inconvenient. He could store them in his shadow, but retrieving them inside the Sin Realm would be difficult to explain with others around. Unless he planned to silence all witnesses? That was hardly necessary. Besides, to be honest, low-level Sealed Artifacts weren't particularly useful to him.
After all, he was currently carrying the original body of one Divine Artifact and the projections of two others. Wasn't that superior to any low-grade seal? Even if the Book of Night and the Moon of Eternal Slumber couldn't be used due to their recognizable traits, he still had Barbara.
Because of this, he didn't want the trouble. To avoid looking too out of place, however, he had brought one: the Grade 2 Sealed Artifact—The Radiant Sun. He had literally pried it out of his bathroom. This artifact held sufficient status so that bringing only one wouldn't seem too strange. Moreover, it possessed a degree of "living" characteristics; in his hands, it was voice-controlled. This bypassed the need for tedious ritual seals—he could just shove it in his pocket. Plus, its purification effects were quite effective against the evil spirits within the Sin Realm and could help others cleanse contamination. Eros brought it primarily for others; he himself didn't fear pollution.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
Seeing Eros being so evasive, Joanie muttered, "So mysterious."
At that moment, a steam train pulled into the station. As the doors opened, students—faces etched with tension—boarded the train under the direction of Church officials.
For this assessment, the Academy had requisitioned over a dozen steam trains from the Indiles Central Station. This inevitably disrupted the city's transport network, leading to a flood of complaints from residents whose travel plans were ruined. The upper echelons of the Empire explained that the students were heading elsewhere for an exam. Some citizens were understanding, while others remained furious. But those were matters for later.
On the train, Eros leaned back against his seat, bored, watching the scenery blur past the window. Joanie and Undine were chirping away, with Joanie passing on the experience she had gathered from her previous assessments.
Eros now knew the location of the Sin Realm: a deep mountain range outside the city of Hydaram. It would take about a day to get there. This meant they would spend a full day and night on the train.
Fortunately, they were now baptized Warlocks with physical constitutions far beyond those of ordinary humans. Such a journey was tolerable. After watching the window for a while, Eros leaned over and rested his head on Undine’s lap. Inhaling her faint fragrance, he drifted off to sleep within moments.
When he woke, both Undine and Joanie were asleep against their headrests. They had to be on the train for a day and a night; while they could stay awake, a poor mental state made one more susceptible to contamination in the Sin Realm. This was a point emphasized repeatedly in mysticism classes. Consequently, the entire carriage was hushed.
Eros sat up and pulled Undine into his arms. She opened her eyes, saw it was him, and nuzzled into his chest to find a more comfortable spot before closing her eyes again.
Leaning against the window with Undine in his arms, Eros entered his soul space to play cards with Barbara and the others. Although the Book of Night and the Moon of Eternal Slumber couldn't speak because they were mere projections, they undoubtedly possessed wisdom.
Eros proposed a rule: the loser had to kiss the winner. Barbara, naturally, protested vehemently. Eventually, they settled on: the winner can demand one thing from the loser. Given the current state of the two artifacts, these demands could be accumulated for later execution.
While they played, the shadow tentacle with the eyeball circled them repeatedly, watching longingly. Finally, Barbara looked at the man and the two spirit artifacts in fury. "You’re teaming up against me!"
Eros looked at her with a face of pure innocence. "No way! I haven't even communicated with Sylveena or Aliana. You know that."
"I don't care! You're teaming up!" Barbara remained fuming.
Seeing her so riled up, Eros’s lips curled into a teasing smirk. "No way... Could it be that the Controller of Shadows, the Eye of Truth that sees through all illusions, the Supreme Existence that plunges all things into Eternal Night... is going to welsh on a debt? No way! Right?"
"Who—who said that? I won't! A bet is a bet. What’s there to be afraid of? I’m not going back on my word!" Barbara snapped, her pride wounded.
"Three requests, then~ Don't forget," Eros said with a wicked grin.
"I accept my loss. Speak—what do you want me to do?" Barbara looked resolute, as if she were about to face a heroic execution.
"No rush. I'll tell you later." After saying this, Eros winked at the Book of Night and the Moon of Eternal Slumber.
"Aha! You were teaming up!" Barbara exploded.
"Could it be... that the Controller of—" Before Eros could finish, Barbara screamed:
"Stop! Stop! Don't say it! I already said I’d accept the loss!"
"That’s more like it~"
For the rest of the journey, Barbara sulked in the corner. Whenever Eros spoke to her, she simply gave a cold "Hmph!" and turned her head away. Eros gave a fond laugh; Barbara really was quite cute.