Book 9: Chapter 36: Relics

“Relics?” Qin Lun’s eyes flickered lightly as he swiftly calculated in his mind.

The trade offered to him by Anpu, the husband of the young couple, was actually a piece of information. Before the Battle of London began, the Vatican’s Papal Chamber still had a cooperative relationship with the British, as both belonged to the Allied Forces camp.

Anpu and his wife belonged to the Grimm Academy story faction, while Tietuo’s group was part of the Vatican faction. In truth, the main missions of these two teams were also competitive. Tietuo’s group needed to protect Buckingham Palace. Anpu and his wife, however, were acting on Vatican orders to join forces with the Mobile Crusaders and break the British’s last line of defense.

Of course, after receiving news of the Reincarnator invasion, the storyline missions of all the Apostles became irrelevant; they now faced a more direct enemy. There were quite a few Vatican agents like Anpu and his wife hidden in Buckingham Palace and Hyde Park, mostly spies and cannon fodder deployed by the Papal Chamber before the battle.

After entering this world, Anpu and his wife had also completed several smaller tasks to be included in the Vatican’s invasion plan. To the Vatican, they were merely pawns. To Anpu and his wife, it was just a routine Apostle mission.

However, even as disposable pieces, the couple learned some valuable intelligence inaccessible to outsiders. For this Ninth Crusade, the Papal Chamber deployed not only three major Superhuman knight orders in terms of military strength, but also brought in some Ascetic Monks from the Chamber of Thorns to join the fight.

The Ascetic Monks of the Chamber of Thorns represented the Vatican’s elite combat force. Anpu and his wife learned through various pre-war sources that, to secure ultimate victory, the monks had also brought two or three Relics this time.

The leaders of the Papal Chamber understood that attacking Britain under these circumstances would provoke hostility from other Superhuman organizations. They might even face direct confrontation from the Avengers Alliance and the Grimm Academy during the war.

Therefore, these Relics were their final trump card. If the war could end swiftly, nations worldwide would still tacitly accept the Vatican’s victory. After all, to the international community, the Vatican’s war against London was not secular, but a religious conflict.

The Vatican had no intention of overthrowing the British government; it merely sought to restore Catholic doctrine across the British Isles and eradicate Protestant teachings. The primary targets of the war were the Protestant-supporting British royal family, the headquarters of the Protestant faith, and the HELLSING organization, renowned for breeding vampires.

“How many Relics did the Vatican monks bring? Be specific!” Qin Lun pondered for a moment before finally asking again.

“Two or three. We don’t know exactly which ones. Right now, we only know the location of one.” Hearing Qin Lun’s question, Anpu knew the man was interested. His anxiety eased, and he answered earnestly.

“Now is the prime hunting time. I cannot afford a lengthy delay!” Qin Lun weighed his options, sighed, and finally shook his head. “The monks holding the Relics must be masters. The risk outweighs the reward. I’m sorry!”

Regret tinged Qin Lun’s voice. It wasn’t an act; the temptation of the Relics was genuinely immense.

The civilization of this world only diverged from Qin Lun’s Earth Federation after World War II. Before that, they shared the same history. Earth, with its ancient roots, had given rise to countless splendid civilizations, though many had vanished long ago.

Today, surviving traditions are broadly categorized into Eastern and Western civilizations. In this world, Western civilization is more widespread, while the essence of Eastern civilization survives only within that ancient country in the East.

Tracing its roots, Western civilization originates thousands of years before Christ, centered on the Holy City of Jerusalem with the Abrahamic religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The three main branches of Christianity are Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and Protestantism.

In a sense, Catholic Relics could be considered sacred treasures embodying Western civilization itself. Items recognized as Christian Relics span millennia, yet barely exceed ten fingers in number, with some still contested.

Such items, crystallizing the essence of an entire civilization, possess World Law and Exploration Rate that the Star Void would covet intensely, regardless of their usability as Apostle equipment. Acquiring just one would surpass Qin Lun’s wildest expectations for gains in this world.

The problem was it felt like a castle in the air – visible yet unattainable. Even if an Ascetic Monk holding a Relic was an ordinary person, the Relic’s power would elevate them to a world-tier force. Qin Lun, however confident, didn’t flatter himself as a top-tier combatant in this world.

Furthermore, the Mobile Crusaders currently held the overall advantage in the war. The monks wouldn’t lack defensive manpower. Such a fight would surpass the difficulty of Qin Lun’s previous battle against Alucard.

If Qin Lun pursued the Relic, he would have to abandon his current hunting plan. On one side: ripe prey, ready for harvest. On the other: a shimmering mirage. The choice was obvious.

“It won’t take much of your time, sir. All you need to do is escort us out of this combat zone, away from central London. Then we can rendezvous with the Vatican Crusaders.” Anpu caught the fleeting regret in Qin Lun’s expression and pressed cautiously. “Actually, the Plot Character who gave us our mission is directing the assault here right now. One Ascetic Monk carrying a Relic is by his side!”

“So close?” Qin Lun understood instantly, his pupils contracting. Hesitation surfaced in his heart for the first time.

“Sir, it would only take you a little time. Try when the chance arises to grab the Relic. If it doesn’t work, you can resume hunting in the inner city. A win-win, right?” Anpu’s whisper was almost hypnotic beside Qin Lun’s ear.

“You know what happens if you lie to me, correct?” Qin Lun took a deep breath, fixing Anpu with an intense stare. He was convinced, despite expecting likely failure. Ignoring this lure was impossible.

“Sir, my wife and I are willing to make a binding agreement. If no Relic holder is found at the destination, our lives are yours to take!” Anpu clenched his teeth, eyes flashing with grim resolve.

He genuinely knew a Relic-bearing monk had been guarding the commander. But with the battle raging wildly, their location could have changed.

Danger permeated every corner of London now; nowhere was truly safe. Hiding wouldn’t last. Trapped here, Qin Lun represented their final hope. Not risking this gamble now meant losing even the chance to bet, if Reincarnators or opportunistic Apostles struck first.

“Fine. I’ll trust you once!” Qin Lun flashed a broad grin, his teeth startlingly white. Though spring-like in appearance, the smile sent a shiver through Anpu and his wife.

“Monica, sorry to trouble you again!” Qin Lun turned, genuinely apologetic, to the Queen of Sandstorm beside him.

“Hm.” Monica gave a reserved nod. Spinning in place, she transformed into a swirling sandstorm, enveloping Qin Lun and the Anpu couple, lifting them slowly into the night sky.

She hadn’t followed all the technical talk between Qin Lun and Anpu, simply understanding that Gerthard had shifted his original plan, now targeting the Catholic Relic.

But the Queen of Sandstorm didn’t care. She joined this battle for this man. His safety mattered most; the rest was secondary.

“Boss Tietuo, what’s the move?” Monkey watched the ascending sand vortex and whispered to his two companions.

“Relics?” Tietuo’s eyes gleamed, a flicker of indecision before he spoke. “Let’s go. Meet up first with Hugo’s group. This round of invading Reincarnators… they feel like elites. With just us few, doing anything difficult seems impossible.”

…

“Gerthard, why did you let that woman go just now?” Once airborne, Monica deliberately kept Anpu and his wife separated, whispering softly near Qin Lun’s ear.

“You mean the lady with the metal skin?” Qin Lun chuckled ruefully. “Wanted to use her as bait, lead us to other Superhumans. Didn’t expect plans to change so fast. Her luck, huh?”

Earlier, Qin Lun could have killed Alice outright but settled for blinding her. He suspected Reincarnators linked up; using this woman to draw others out seemed an efficient way to accelerate the hunt.

Most Reincarnators here were early-stage elites, solo entrants. Alice, desperate to survive, would likely drag other Reincarnators down with her even knowing she was being used – the perfect guide.

With Monica surveilling from above, Qin Lun faced no risk of losing track. Upon encountering a second group, he’d kill Alice, then let another escape, triggering a chain reaction.

Alice was meant as the first falling domino piece. This hunting strategy promised far greater efficiency than scouring London himself. But Uka’s death and Anpu’s intel forced him to abandon tracking the flapper. Alice truly had luck on her side.

“Ah, I see. Poor that blue-eyed chap!” The sand-formed illusion of Monica’s face pursed its lips, suppressing a giggle.

Qin Lun glanced at the Death Notice and wordlessly shook his head. Fate often played such tricks. Uka had actually been much stronger than Alice. After killing the blindfolded Reincarnator, the Death Notice revealed he’d slain a Second Order Reincarnator.

Uka possessed a stage equivalent to Qin Lun’s own, though slightly weaker in actual strength. Recalling the fight, Qin Lun couldn’t help feeling a pang of regret for him. Uka’s eye technique had actually surpassed the Stellar Black Hole.

The Stellar Black Hole merely brushed upon Space-Time Law. Uka’s technique fundamentally possessed its own nanoscale universe, incomparable to the Stellar Black Hole.

Maybe the skill level wasn’t rank A yet, but its law potential undoubtedly exceeded the Stellar Black Hole. Qin Lun vaguely suspected Uka’s true form wasn’t human, but some kind of Star Void entity, his eye technique an inherent talent.

Had Uka progressed to High Rank, the nanoscale universe in his pupils wouldn’t be mere illusion; it might have housed offensive and defensive spells. In rank, perhaps even peak tier. Any non-High-Rank Apostle facing him would struggle even to escape.

Uka had been overconfident. Trusting his Perception, assuming Qin Lun was alone, he recklessly deployed his ultimate innate ability. The consequence was devastating; backlash left him no chance for a final struggle.

This highlighted the Queen of Sandstorm’s unique trait: transformed into sand, her life signature vanished entirely. Unless meticulously scrutinized, regardless of Perception level, you would perceive only swirling dust.