Shrouded Seascape

The tour guide doubled as an interpreter, leading Anna and the others into a rustic hotel made out of stone and wood.

The interior of the hotel room was simple, but it was clean. The hotel owner and the receptionists were exceptionally enthusiastic to the point that it was bizarre.

When Anna wanted to change her footwear, an eight-year-old boy knelt down to help her change shoes. The tour guide told Anna that the locals simply wanted the tourists to be as leisurely as possible, but Anna saw concealed fear in the child's eyes.

Anna sat on a reclining chair on the balcony of one of the rustic hotel rooms. She was enjoying the sunshine while talking to the Shattered God on the phone. "You people sure are interesting. I actually didn't expect that you guys are dabbling in the tourism industry despite being on the IMF's radar.

"I guess even the most clandestine organization still needs money to spend."

"What do they look in your eyes? Do they look like ordinary people? If that weren't the case, the IMF wouldn't have so much trouble against the Blind Sisterhood."

"Oh? What do they do? Are they doing human sacrifices or what?" Anna asked, and her eyes behind the pair of sunglasses looked around the people nearby.

It was then that she discovered something strange—the people living around here hardly blinked.

"Don't immediately assume that everyone is as evil as you. Anyway, my people still need some time to prepare. We'll take action a little later at night as planned."

The Shattered God ended the call, but Anna didn't put down the phone. She clicked a few buttons on the phone as if she were playing a JAVA game. Of course, Anna was just pretending.

Using her pair of sunglasses as a barrier, Anna's eyes swept across the lush green mountain peak in the distance. The mountain was covered in greenery, so she could not see anything at all.

According to the Shattered God, the members of the so-called Blind Sisterhood were among them, and they had an Anomaly capable of altering memories.

As time ticked by, the sun in the sky gradually moved west. Anna saw a curly-haired, chubby man stretching on the balcony opposite her, and the sight of him told her that the Fhtagnists were ready.

The golden hues of the sunset coated the small mountain village and the distant peaks of the nearby mountains with a layer of gold, creating a picturesque sight.

The tourists came out of their rooms to take pictures.

To avoid standing out, Anna also picked up a camera.

"Um... Frun! Can you please help me ta en bild?[1] Thank you!" a young woman looking to be around the same age as Anna requested, stammering in both English and Swedish as she shook the camera in her hand at Anna.

Anna looked down at the young woman and stared at the small freckles on the tip of the shorter woman's nose. Anna nodded with a smile and took the camera to take pictures for her.

In the face of such beautiful scenery, the young woman took many photos, excitedly posing in many different positions. The golden hue of dusk added to the look of delight on her face.

Anna noticed something amiss while she was busy taking pictures. There was someone hiding in the crowd, and they were keeping tabs on her.

By pretending to be taking pictures from many different angles, Anna managed to take a good look at the individual keeping tabs on her. It was an old woman clad in a black nun's habit.

"Tack så mycket!" the young woman exclaimed, giving Anna a tight hug before skipping away with her camera in hand.

As soon as the young woman was out of sight, the old nun gave up on hiding and walked right up to Anna. She kissed the black wooden inverted cross in her hand, and she sounded exhausted as she said, "Servant of the Unseen, the white cat is eating your footprints."

Anna took off her sunglasses and cast a confused look at the old nun.

"Are you talking to me?"

The old nun nodded silently. "The Red Moon has died, and the Scorching Sun is completely gone. They are destined not to be resurrected."

"I'm sorry, but I don't quite understand what you're saying. Can you explain it to me?"

Anna's countenance remained gentle and baffled, but her guard had already skyrocketed through the roof. Is this old woman from the Blind Sisterhood? My cover is already blown?

The old nun looked at Anna and shook her head with regret. Then, she slowly turned around and walked into the crowd.

Anna raised her right hand and tapped the frame of her sunglasses with two fingers. A Fhtagnist in the crowd blended with the surrounding colors like a chameleon and followed the old woman.

Once the sun had completely sunk below the mountain range, the Fhtagnist returned and reported that the old nun had returned to the one and only church in the mountain village. They also reported that there wasn't anything strange with the old nun.

Anna truly had no idea what the old nun's words meant.

It was already night, but the tourist village remained bustling and lively. There were tourists busy having a barbeque by the huge bonfire. The villagers were as enthusiastic as ever, and their attitude toward Anna hadn't changed a bit.

However, the old nun's cryptic words made Anna feel a bit uneasy. She couldn't help but feel like they had already set a trap for her. Anna picked up the phone and looked at the time.

It was already nine o'clock in the evening, and there were still four hours left before the scheduled time.

Anna looked up at the distant mountain peak that had completely melted into the darkness and told the Fhtagnists to stay alert while holding their positions.

Regardless of whether her cover was already blown or not, they were already here, and they had no intentions of retreating until they had accomplished their objective.

The Shattered God's people were the vanguards, and she was only going to assist them, so if anything unexpected ended up happening later on, she could always break away at any time.

Time ticked by, and soon, it was eleven o'clock. The lively tourist village had become quiet, and the tourists slowly returned to their rooms in groups of twos and threes.

Anan took off her high heels and exchanged them for the slippers that a little boy had extended over to her. Upon wearing the slippers, Anna walked into her room.

"Darkness is destined to be driven away by sunlight, but alas, it can only be driven away."

Hearing the young voice, Anna felt a shiver run down her spine. She whipped around and saw the little boy kneeling on the ground. Anna's high heels were in his hands, and he was in the middle of putting them on the shoe rack.

"Did you just speak?" Anna asked, sounding doubtful.

The little boy simply looked down at the floor.

In the end, Anna remained silent and walked into her room. Anna's calm face instantly became exceptionally solemn as soon as she walked into her room. She leaned toward the window and looked around outside.

The old nun's words could be dismissed as the mere ravings of a senile old woman, but the little boy had clearly spoken similar cryptic words as the old nun.

There was definitely something wrong here, and Anna could not ignore it. She also felt like she was being watched. The enemy was hidden while she was exposed, so she was at a great disadvantage.

"How much longer do we have to wait for your people? I think they've noticed us," Anna said, calling the Shattered God.

"Please have more confidence in yourself. You are extremely powerful, and they are definitely not as difficult to deal with as the IMF. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been forced to hide here." A jarring voice sounding similar to a tape recorder echoed from the phone.

"Stop flattering me. I only agreed to support you. If you're going to use me as bait, then you've made the wrong decision. Anyway, you better pick up the pace, or I'm going to leave with my people."

1. Maam, can you please help me take a picture? ☜