Chapter 452

Chapter 354 – Reception

Time flew by, and before long, ten days had passed. As each page was torn from the calendar on the wall, the year officially came to an end, and in just one more day, the new year would arrive.

On December 31st, snowflakes drifted through the sky of Tivyán, and a thin layer of white began to accumulate on the rooftops. Although the city’s temperature had dropped to a new low, the streets were bustling with activity.

In East Tivyán, within the Boyle family manor, Nephnis, who had returned home for a break, sat in her study wearing a sweater and pants. Beside her was a pot of burning charcoal, and on her desk lay an old book.

Nephnis focused intently on the content of the book. It wasn’t particularly thick, and she had reached the last page. After a short while, she turned the final page, finally completing the entire book.

“Huh… I’ve finished this one too.”

With a deep breath, Nephnis closed the old book on her desk. She leaned back in her seat, closing her eyes and focusing her thoughts as she began to pray. Soon, she reopened her eyes, her gaze clearer than before.

“Thank you, Akka… Thank you for your blessings…”

Holding her heart, Nephnis sincerely murmured, feeling the grace bestowed upon her by Akka. With Akka’s help, she had purified the toxins in her mind and accumulated the necessary spirituality. Then, Nephnis picked up the completed secret transmission again, examining its cover. The title read “Wolf Sacrifice.”

“‘Wolf Sacrifice’ details the characteristics and ascension methods of the ‘Cup’ domain’s Beast Path. After reading this, I’ve gathered so much ‘Cup.’ Combined with what I’ve accumulated from ‘The Queen of Bugs’ Procession’ and Miss Dorothy’s ‘Lamb Song,’ I feel that I now have enough spirituality to ascend.”

Holding the secret transmission, Nephnis thought to herself. Yes, after a month of diligent study, she had met the spiritual requirements for ascending to the Black Tier. All that was left was the ceremony.

Since Nephnis experienced the curse of the mummy undead, she had become exceptionally eager to learn secret transmissions. Correspondingly, Dorothy continuously provided her with transmissions rich in spirituality.

First, Dorothy gave her a handwritten copy of the ritual knowledge from the New World. Then, she obtained her grandfather’s notes from her butler, Nunut, spending over half a month studying them. When Dorothy asked her to assist with trading with the Underworld Coffin Cult, she had already nearly finished reading Davis’s notes and the ritual knowledge, extracting considerable amounts of “Silence.”

Afterward, Dorothy provided Nephnis with two books and one painting containing three portions of “Silence,” along with a highly concentrated “Cup” book titled “Wolf Sacrifice.” Nephnis spent another half a month studying these materials, finally completing her readings. After months of diligent learning, Nephnis had transformed the transmissions in Dorothy’s possession into spirituality. Now, she had sufficient spirituality for both “Silence” and “Cup” to ascend to the Black Tier of the Path of Body Reliance, pending the ceremony.

Sitting in her seat, Nephnis recalled the ascension ritual for the Path of Body Reliance from her grandfather’s notes. As a remarkable path where the soul is controlled by the body, the Path of Body Reliance requires the individual to voluntarily be possessed by a high-intelligence, strong spirit, and then tame the spirit—either by suppressing it with one’s will or communicating with it to act according to one’s pace.

“Controlling the spirit with one’s body… This is how one ascends on the Path of Body Reliance. But most haunted places in Tivyán have been cleared by the An Yin Bureau and the Church. Where can I find a suitable spirit?”

Nephnis frowned slightly, thinking to herself. At the same time, she shifted her gaze to the other side of the table where Davis’s notes were placed.

“I wonder if Grandfather knew where to find a suitable spirit for ascension in Prit… If he did, he should have mentioned it in his other notes. Unfortunately… Only this notebook remains with me; the rest are still with Grandpa Nunut, who is still hesitant to give them all to me at once…”

Looking at the notes on the table, Nephnis thought. Davis had decades of experience in exploration and tomb raiding, leaving behind numerous notebooks. After his d*ath, all his notes were kept by his most loyal servant, Nunut, who is now the butler of the Boyle family.

Although Nunut promised to give Nephnis the notes and help her embark on the extraordinary path, he was concerned about her ability to digest the toxins and didn’t give them all at once. Instead, he gave them one by one, allowing Nephnis to read them gradually.

Even though Nephnis often hinted that she had efficient methods to protect against toxins and that it was safe to give her all the notes at once, Nunut remained unconvinced. For safety reasons, he continued to hold back the remaining notes. Thus, Nephnis currently lacked a channel to find a spirit through the notes.

“For now, let’s wait until my spirituality is fully accumulated. I’ll worry about the ascension later. There are other things to attend to…”

Thinking this, Nephnis put away all the secret transmissions on her desk. Then, carrying the charcoal pot, she opened the door and walked out of the study, descending the stairs from the third floor to the first-floor entrance hall.

After placing the charcoal pot near the fireplace in the entrance hall, Nephnis quickly walked to the door, changed into a thick winter coat, and prepared to go out. Just then, a voice came from behind her.

“Miss, are you going out?”

Hearing the voice, Nephnis turned around and saw Nunut, dressed in his butler uniform, standing on the second-floor railing.

“Yes, a friend from afar is arriving in Tivyán soon, and I need to pick them up.”

“This friend is coming at such a time… I understand. Miss, will you be back for dinner tonight?”

Listening to Nephnis’s words, Nunut continued to ask, and she replied uncertainly.

“Well… I’m not sure right now. Mom and Dad went back to the family estate for the New Year, so I might not come back. I might check out some New Year celebrations instead.”

Nephnis said, tapping her chin with her finger, and Nunut nodded in response.

“In that case, take care on the road, Miss.”

After bidding farewell to Nunut, Nephnis, dressed in her coat, stepped out of the house. She tightened her coat against the cold wind and stopped a carriage by the roadside. Once inside, she directly instructed the coachman.

“Please take me to the Seagull Intersection at North Bay Port.”

Following Nephnis’s instructions, the coachman drove eastward toward the sea. Sitting in the carriage, Nephnis looked out the window at the streets decorated for the New Year and the bustling crowds.

“Just in time for the New Year, this member from the New World really knows how to choose their timing…”

While looking out the window, Nephnis thought to herself. As the scenery outside rapidly passed by, her carriage soon arrived at its destination—the intersection in front of a port in East Tivyán.