Cahaya hijau tua berubah menjadi seberkas sinar yang menghantam dada lelaki tua itu, menembus jubah hitamnya yang longgar, mirip seperti sinar matahari yang tak terbendung.
Tampak tujuh hingga delapan tahun lebih muda, ekspresi lelaki tua itu berkerut, dan setiap jengkal kulitnya yang terpapar menunjukkan tanda-tanda meleleh.
Auranya dengan cepat melemah.
Pada saat bersamaan, ledakan kekuatan hidup yang kuat meletus dari tubuhnya. Di bawah kulit yang meleleh, daging dan darah meronta, menolak mutasi tersebut.
Mata lelaki tua berjubah hitam itu meredup, dan sosoknya tiba-tiba memudar.
Dalam sekejap, wajah kabur muncul dari kursi berlengan di meja makan, membaur dengan kayu cokelat, bersiap untuk menjadi jelas.
Pada saat itu, gelombang api turun dari langit-langit yang tertutup api merah crimson, membasahi kursi berlengan itu dan dengan cepat membakarnya.
Sebelum wajah cokelat itu sempat terwujud sepenuhnya, ia menyerah pada amukan api, dipaksa mundur.
Lumian kehilangan pandangan dan indra terhadap sesepuh berjubah hitam itu setelahnya.
Sambil mengamati sekeliling, Lugano, yang terbaring di atas meja makan, tiba-tiba duduk dan melompat turun. Ia menatap Lumian dengan mata kosong, bagaikan sesosok zombi yang berkeliaran.
Lumian terkekeh, mengangkat tangan kanannya dan menunjuk ke arah Lugano.
Dengan gestur ini, bintik-bintik cahaya berkilauan di matanya, seolah-olah kosmos telah turun.
Lugano mendapati dirinya berada di langit malam yang kosong, dikelilingi oleh bintang-bintang yang berkelip.
Ia berdiri terpaku di tanah dalam keadaan linglung. Tanpa tindakan lanjutan apa pun, ia menyerupai mesin yang telah kehabisan energi dan pengendalinya.
Setelah membereskan pelayannya, Lumian mengamati sekelilingnya sekali lagi.
Namun, matanya dipenuhi oleh api crimson yang mengalir dan membara, dan sosok sesepuh berjubah hitam itu tetap tidak dapat ditemukan.
Ekspresi Lumian tetap tenang saat ia merentangkan kelima jarinya pada tangan kanannya, mengepalkannya menjadi sebuah tinju.
Tubuhnya tiba-tiba menjadi berat, dan api yang mengelilinginya melonjak ke arahnya bagaikan sungai yang bermuara ke laut, tertarik oleh kekuatan tak kasat mata.
Botol-botol, organ-organ dari berbagai bagian tubuh, dan benda-benda ringan di dalam ruangan melesat ke arah Lumian.
Gantungan baju kayu di dekat pintu, sosok transparan sesepuh berjubah hitam itu menonjol, ditarik oleh kekuatan tak kasat mata.
Ia berjuang dengan sekuat tenaga, tetapi ia tidak dapat melawan tarikan menuju Lumian. Hal itu mirip seperti sepotong kayu yang terjebak dalam banjir atau sehelai daun tipis yang berkibar dalam angin kencang.
Tangan kiri Lumian sudah terangkat, dan api crimson yang hampir putih di telapak matanya dengan cepat berubah menjadi putih di bawah kekuatan isap yang kuat, membentuk bola berukuran kecil.
Lapisan bola api putih-panas yang dimampatkan dilepaskan, dan kekuatan isap yang berat serta menakutkan itu pun hilang.
*Pa!* Lelaki tua berjubah hitam itu akhirnya mendarat di lantai, penglihatannya sepenuhnya ditelan oleh bola api putih yang menyala-nyala.
*Rumble!*
Bola api putih yang menyala-nyala itu bertabrakan dengan Beyonder yang melakukan pembedahan keji dan ritual aneh tersebut. Suara ledakan bergema ke kejauhan tetapi diredam oleh kegelapan yang menyelimuti ruangan, mencegahnya merambat.
Di tengah ledakan yang begitu dahsyat, tidak ada seorang pun di kapal yang mendengar atau merasakan ada sesuatu yang janggal.
*Rumble!*
Tubuh lelaki tua berjubah hitam itu hancur berkeping-keping oleh ledakan yang menghancurkan tersebut. Pecahan mayat yang tak terhitung jumlahnya langsung menjadi hangus atau dilalap oleh nyala api yang terang, berserakan di setiap sudut ruang tamu dan ruang makan.
Dengan penyaluran roh yang siap digunakan dan Ludwig yang memberikan dukungan, Lumian menikmati otoritas Gubernur Laut dan kekuatan setingkat hampir setengah dewa yang dianugerahkannya. Ia tidak peduli apa wujud musuh selanjutnya.
*Luar biasa. Apakah seperti ini rasanya menjadi setengah dewa? Meskipun itu hanya ilusi... Sayangnya, itu tidak akan bertahan lewat pukul enam pagi...* Lumian menghela napas, mengarahkan pandangannya pada pecahan mayat yang terbakar.
Pemeriksaan cepat mengungkapkan bahwa daging sesepuh berjubah hitam itu telah dengan cepat menghangus atau berubah menjadi abu. Seolah-olah embun beku bertemu dengan magma dari letusan gunung berapi.
Dalam hitungan detik, hanya jantung, hati, limpa, paru-paru, ginjal, usus, dan lambung yang tersisa di dalam ruangan, beserta otak berwarna abu-abu keputihan yang setengah hangus.
*Hih...* Bahkan dengan kakinya, Lumian dapat mengetahui bahwa ada sesuatu yang tidak beres.
Kecuali otaknya, sisa-sisa musuh semuanya adalah organ internal.
Pembedahan jahat yang baru saja dilakukannya melibatkan pengambilan organ internal seseorang agar mereka dapat hidup seolah-olah tidak terjadi apa-apa!
Pada saat yang sama, ritual aneh yang dilakukannya memanfaatkan set lengkap organ internal untuk mencoba merekonstruksi apa yang disebut tubuh Anak Tuhan!
Semua organ internal—sulit bagi Lumian untuk tidak menarik hubungan.
*Mungkinkah organ internal rekan ini telah diambil sebelumnya, dan ia selamat dengan merakit organ internal orang lain, hingga menjadi seorang Beyonder? Apa namanya ini? Alkimia manusia? Jika itu benar, siapa yang mengambil organ internalnya?* Lumian merenung dalam diam.
Bintang-bintang di matanya dengan cepat memudar, dan Lugano kembali ke dunia nyata.
Dari jarak empat hingga lima meter, Lumian mengangkat tangan kanannya dan mengayunkannya dengan mulus.
*Plak!*
Lugano merasakan dampak kekuatan tak kasat mata menghantam wajahnya.
Dengan sentakan tiba-tiba, matanya perlahan-lahan bersih dari tatapan kosongnya.
Hal pertama yang menyambut Lugano adalah api crimson yang berjatuhan di sekitarnya, padam sebelum menyebabkan malapetaka apa pun.
Kemudian, ia melihat bagian tubuh yang hangus, organ internal yang berserakan, botol kaca yang berisi cairan kuning muda, dan organ yang terendam di dalamnya.
*Apakah aku masih bermimpi? Apakah ini mimpi buruk?* Tepat saat pikiran itu terlintas di benak Lugano, bayangan atasannya, Louis Berry, dengan rambut hitam dan mata hijau, muncul di hadapannya.
*Sialan, mimpi ini mengambil arah yang tak terduga!* Lugano bergidik dan tanpa sadar bertanya,
603 Organs Again
The dark-green light morphed into a beam, slamming into the old man’s chest and sinking into the loose black robe, akin to sunlight, unstoppable.
Already appearing seven to eight years younger, the old man’s expression twisted, and every inch of exposed skin displayed signs of melting.
His aura rapidly waned.
Simultaneously, a burst of vigorous life force erupted from his body. Under the melting skin, flesh and blood writhed, resisting the mutation.
The black-robed old man’s eyes darkened, and he abruptly faded away.
In an instant, a hazy face emerged from the armchair at the dining table, blending with the brown wood, about to gain clarity.
At that moment, a cascade of flames descended from the crimson-flame-covered ceiling, soaking the armchair and swiftly setting it ablaze.
Before the brown face could fully materialize, it succumbed to the raging flames, forced to retreat.
Lumian lost sight and sense of the black-robed elder subsequently.
While surveying the surroundings, Lugano, lying on the dining table, suddenly sat up and jumped down. He stared at Lumian with vacant eyes, like a wandering zombie.
Lumian chuckled, raising his right hand and pointing at Lugano.
With this gesture, specks of brilliance shimmered in his eyes, as if the cosmos had descended.
Lugano found himself in an empty night sky, surrounded by twinkling stars.
He stood rooted to the ground in a daze. Without any subsequent actions, he resembled a machine that had lost its energy and controller.
Having settled his servant, Lumian surveyed his surroundings once more.
Yet, his eyes brimmed with flowing and burning crimson flames, and the black-robed elder’s figure remained elusive.
Lumian’s expression remained stoic as he splayed the five fingers on his right hand, clenching them into a fist.
His body suddenly grew heavy, and the flames surrounding him surged towards him like a river converging into the sea, drawn by an invisible force.
Bottles, organs from various body parts, and lightweight items in the room soared towards Lumian.
On the wooden coat rack near the door, the transparent figure of the black-robed elder protruded, pulled away by an unseen force.
He fought with all his might, but he couldn’t resist the pull towards Lumian. It was akin to a piece of wood caught in a flood or a thin leaf fluttering in a fierce wind.
Lumian’s left hand was already raised, and the crimson, nearly white flame in his palm rapidly turned white under the intense suction force, forming a minuscule ball.
Layers of compressed white-hot fireballs were unleashed, and the weighty and fearsome suction force dissipated.
Pa! The black-robed elder finally landed on the floor, his vision completely engulfed by the blazing white fireball.
Rumble!
The blazing white fireball collided with the Beyonder conducting the sinister surgery and strange ritual. The explosion’s sound echoed into the distance but was muffled by the darkness shrouding the room, preventing it from permeating.
In the midst of such a violent explosion, no one on the ship heard or sensed anything awry.
Rumble!
The black-robed elder’s body was shredded by the devastating explosion. Countless corpse fragments were instantly charred or consumed by bright flames, scattering across every corner of the living room and dining room.
With spirit channeling at his disposal and Ludwig providing support, Lumian reveled in the authority of the Governor of the Sea and the nearly demigod-level power it bestowed. He cared not for what the enemy might transform into.
Incredible. Is this what it’s like to be a demigod? Even if it’s just an illusion… Sadly, it won’t last beyond six in the morning… Lumian sighed, directing his gaze at the burning corpse fragments.
A quick inspection revealed that the black-robed elder’s flesh had rapidly charred or turned to ashes. It was as if frost had met magma from a volcanic eruption.
In a matter of seconds, only the heart, liver, spleen, lungs, kidneys, intestines, and stomach remained in the room, along with a grayish-white half-charred brain.
Wh… Even with his feet, Lumian could tell that something was awry.
Except for the brain, the remnants of the enemy were all internal organs.
The malevolent surgery he had just completed involved extracting someone’s internal organs to let them live as if nothing happened!
At the same time, the peculiar ritual he performed utilized the complete set of internal organs to attempt to reconstruct the so-called Child of God’s body!
All internal organs—it was hard for Lumian not to draw a connection.
Could it be that this fellow’s internal organs were extracted before, and he survived by piecing together others’ internal organs, becoming a Beyonder? What’s this called? Human alchemy? If it’s true, who took his internal organs? Lumian pondered silently.
The stars in his eyes swiftly dissipated, and Lugano returned to the real world.
From a distance of four to five meters, Lumian raised his right hand and smoothly swung it.
Smack!
Lugano felt the impact of an invisible force against his face.
With a sudden jolt, his eyes gradually cleared of their blank stare.
The first sight that greeted Lugano was the crimson flames falling around him, extinguishing before causing any havoc.
Then, he noticed charred body parts, scattered internal organs, glass jars filled with light-amber liquid, and organs soaked in them.
Am I still dreaming? Is this a nightmare? Just as this thought crossed Lugano’s mind, the image of his employer, Louis Berry, with black hair and green eyes, appeared before him.
Son of a bitch, this dream took an unexpected turn! Lugano shuddered and involuntarily inquired, “What happened?”
Lumian pondered for a moment and asked, “What dream did you just experience?”
What dream? Lugano confirmed his wakefulness and recollected, “I dreamed of my childhood. My mother stood at the door, urging me to come home for dinner. She even sang a nursery rhyme from my hometown…
“She’s been gone for almost ten years. I miss her dearly. I kept walking towards the door, but I couldn’t reach her…”
At that moment, Lugano realized that this wasn’t their suite. He exclaimed in shock,
“What happened?”
With a smile, Lumian responded, “You slept until midnight and suddenly sleepwalked all the way here. An old man had plans to operate on you, remove your kidneys, and slowly turn you into a patient like Enio.”
The more Lugano listened, the more fear gripped him. Earlier, he had wondered how someone like Enio, who had lost most of his internal organs, could still be alive, albeit turning weak—only to realize that he was so close to turning into a similar figure!
“Hiss…” Lugano gasped and asked with trepidation, “Where’s that old man?”
“That’s all that remains.” Lumian gestured at the internal organs and the grayish-white, half-charred brain on the ground.
Without giving Lugano a chance to sigh, Lumian instructed, “Bring Ludwig here.”
It was also almost time for his midnight snack.
Lugano hastily left the suite, grateful for choosing to follow Lumian to the Southern Continent.
Otherwise, he would be at the mercy of such situations elsewhere!
Lugano believed this matter had nothing to do with Lumian. He had brought it upon himself. If it were Trier, he might have encountered a similar patient who had lost internal organs.
Lumian watched him leave, raised his right hand, and stroked his chin.
Simply hearing the infant’s cries from the failed ritual can influence Beyonders of the Planter pathway to sleep and act in a sleepwalking state, receiving corresponding orders?
Isn’t this too exaggerated? It’s an absolute suppression on the Planter pathway…
I could understand a similar phenomenon if that ritual had succeeded, and the Child of God was truly born. Yet, it’s already this powerful despite being a failed product?
Even with the limitation of its range, it’s still terrifying… Is there a key reason I don’t know?
Moreover, can only Beyonders of the Planter or Sower pathways hear the Child of God’s cries? Can the Apothecary pathway, which can interchange with the Planter pathway, also hear it?
Amidst Lumian’s thoughts, Lugano led Ludwig into the suite.
Faced with this gruesome scene, Ludwig pressed his hand to his mouth and yawned.
“Where’s the food?”
Lumian didn’t make any immediate requests. Instead, he turned to Lugano.
“Guard the door.”
With the prior experience of the blood-drinking incident, Lugano could vaguely guess what was about to happen. He didn’t dare face it directly. Upon hearing Lumian’s instructions, he heaved a sigh of relief and jogged to the corridor, closing the vermilion door behind him.
Only then did Lumian gesture towards the scattered internal organs on the ground.
“Do you need me to roast it for you?”
Ludwig shot a quick glance at Lumian.
“Don’t you find it irksome? These are all human organs.”
Lumian emitted a soft chuckle.
“In my eyes, this is already on par with a monster’s insides.”
He then wore a self-deprecating expression.
“Moreover, isn’t directly consuming Beyonder characteristics to advance a Beyonder equivalent to eating someone?”
Ludwig remained silent, taking a few steps to the side. He squatted down, picked up the old man’s heart, stuffed it into his mouth, and began to chew.
Crimson blood slowly trickled from the corner of his mouth.
Lumian pulled up a chair and sat down, patiently waiting for Ludwig to finish his meal and digest.
After seven to eight minutes, Ludwig retrieved a white handkerchief from his coat pocket and wiped his mouth.
“These internal organs belong to different people. Some are Beyonders, some are ordinary folks, some old, some teenagers…
“There are traces of human refinement. The aura of life is rather mixed and impure…
“They will be controlled and influenced by the refiner…
“Having been refined, the person doesn’t know that he’s been through this.
“He has complete memories of the past. This is something that can’t be achieved by refining an ordinary body.
“He followed Enio on board, hoping to extract the remaining organs and complete the ritual before Enio reached his destination…”
Ludwig recounted the knowledge and memories he had absorbed in a straightforward tone.
Komentar Chapter (0)
Login buat ikut berkomentar.
Belum ada komentar di chapter ini. Jadi yang pertama!