The pungent smell filled the air, and no matter if it was sunlight, starlight, warm wind or cold rain, they couldn't penetrate the solid concrete blocks and bring a natural atmosphere to this space composed of countless winding waterways.
Narrow and claustrophobic pipes ran throughout the underground of the entire city, where mud, garbage, and rats were the rulers of this world. Without the hustle and bustle of people on the ground, the sound of rushing water and the sound of rats running across the water's surface brought empty echoes, adding a bit of life to this place.
The greatest achievement of Flondeck's builders is the immensely huge underground drainage system planned for this metropolis. When certain older and more magnificent cities suffered from cholera due to poor sanitary conditions, the people of Flondeck had already unknowingly enjoyed living conditions beyond their time.
After a heavy rainstorm, any accumulated water could disappear from the streets within two days. Almost all of the houses in the city were built with toilets, and those who still used chamber pots were rare in Flondeck.
Of course, these conveniences did not attract people's attention. The filthy sewers were not something to boast about to outsiders. Would anyone lead a first-time visitor to a certain gutter and proudly say, "Look, our sewer system is several hundred miles long?"
The water gate of No. 44 sewage outlet extended from the underground of the city to the bottom of a cliff by the sea, just above sea level. During high tide, the seawater would completely submerge this sewage outlet, which was one and a half people high and two people wide. Most of the time, the sewage flowing sparsely from the opening would turn the blue waters below into a large expanse of dark gray.
No fishing boats ever appeared in the nearby sea, and even the most inexperienced novice fishermen knew that they couldn't catch good fish in these polluted waters.
Therefore, no one noticed that three of the iron bars, each as thick as an adult's arm, on the water gate were broken, leaving an opening for people to enter and exit.
In the darkness of the sewer outlet, a deeper shadow was concealed. From the pair of eyes that glowed red like lights in the night, it could be inferred that it was a monster. The red hue was not a normal eye color for a human.
The monster bent over and moved slowly forward, like a newborn cub, with awkward movements. It occasionally fell to the ground because of the slippery sludge, unable to maintain balance.
It discovered that walking with all four limbs helped it maintain balance. This discovery made it hum happily. However, soon it became puzzled, turning its neck and straightening its body. Some instinct and memory seemed to be telling it that it had to learn to walk on two legs.
The monster fell and got up again, continuing to learn how to walk. Its whole body was dirty with mud and dark green mossy plants from the waterway. By the time it reached the edge of the sewage outlet, its original skin color was no longer discernible.
The monster stuck its head out, gazing upward with its ugly, lifeless face under the starry night sky. It was very confused by the smell of the sea and the hazy night sky, as if it was intimately familiar with this strange environment during some period of time. It leaned against a rough boulder and did not move, seeming to merge with the stone.
After a while, the monster heard something with its ears and looked back towards the dim passage. Then, under some sort of command, it turned back and walked towards it.
Even the most dedicated sewer cleaner could not believe that there was another world hidden deep in the pipes filled with decayed sludge.
At the junction of two waterways, a pure white light washed away all the dirt, and the strong smell of decay was completely isolated. The ground maintained its original greyish color, and there was not a speck of dirt in any remote corners or gaps between stones. Even the floors of luxurious mansions and churches could not remain as clean and pure as this.
The red bricks partitioned the space into several halls and a few living quarters. Inside, the light grew stronger. Within the pure white, there were occasionally threads of golden light. The radiance was so calm and brilliant that the air seemed no longer transparent, like the thin mist gradually dissipating under sunlight. Simply standing there, one could feel the power that the light contained.
It was different from the restlessness of thunder and lightning, the wildness of flames, and the unpredictability of the wind. This was a more immortal power. It was vibrant yet balanced, passionate but restrained. Under its warm touch, every inch of skin, muscle, and bone, down to the tiniest cell, was cleansed with wondrous warmth.
If one must use worldly language to describe it, it would be like the moment when a flower blooms, or when a newly hatched bird pecks through its shell to reveal its furry head. This was a symbol of birth and growth.
This is the power of life.
Upon closer observation, the source of the light came from a chest in the center of the main hall. The chest was about the height of a person, but it was less of a chest than a rectangular piece of tattered wood. Its appearance was so ugly that without the continuous radiance emanating from it, one would think it was just a piece of old rotten wood.
Even the shoddiest furniture made by the worst carpentry apprentice would be more aesthetically pleasing than this chest, with its uneven surface and antiquated material.
The Eternal Reliquary, the most prestigious holy relic of the holy city of Anno. It was said to have been made from a piece of tree branch retrieved from the World Tree that supports the heavens and the earth.
A naked man's body was held up in the air by an invisible hand. Dozens of slender glass tubes connected him to the Eternal Reliquary, like blood vessels extending from his body, constantly extracting dark red liquid from the sacred object.
It had to be said, his body was overly handsome, with soft eyebrows and eyes, bright red lips, and hair that seemed to be made of the finest gold thread. But his frozen expression, stern and defiant, combined with the metallic gleam on his skin, destroyed any sense of weakness and blended with his appearance in a strange and unique way. If he could stand up, put on gorgeous clothes, and appear at any gathering, even the most picky noble ladies would be infatuated with him.
But the son of God who descended from heaven was nothing more than this.
On his beautiful forehead lay a blue-purple gemstone, with blood-colored veins spreading across its translucent surface, making it seem as if it could shatter into countless pieces at any moment.
A majestic will emanated from the gemstone. "Has there been no progress in the research?"
The attendant, dressed in a white gown, respectfully bowed his head. He knew that the master's soul temporarily resided in the gemstone. "The technology for body modification is very advanced, but there are still some drawbacks in the brain."
"Oh, drawbacks?" the will sneered. "After hundreds of experiments, every time a deceased person was revived, their brain could not function normally. What's the point of having a perfect body coupled with an idiot's intellect?"
"Please forgive me, my master. There are many holy warriors searching for the artifact on the ground, and we must be careful not to leave any clues."
"Efficiency, we need efficiency. Did I steal the Eternal Reliquary from the court and lose my original body just to be imprisoned in a stone?"
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"The research has made some progress, please be patient for a while longer."
"Look at this immortal body, Oh, I want to own it right now." The will in the gemstone said, "Hurry, I hope it won't take too long."
Bishop Roland sat restlessly in the Black Cross carriage.
He had just received a stern reprimand from the Holy See, and another Cardinal Archbishop who presided over Flondeck kept furrowing his brow and asking repeatedly, "Is the intelligence reliable? Is the artifact still in this secular city?"
Nearly a year had passed, and the Holy Spear Knights had yet to capture half a heretic. Instead, under the guidance of the police station, they had helped to arrest many wanted criminals or smugglers.
Roland firmly believed that the artifact and the followers of Leo Angertes were cunningly hiding in some corner of Flondeck, but even the most inconspicuous houses had been thoroughly searched by the holy warriors, yet still no clues were found.
Where could they be hiding?
The carriage shook a few times and came to a stop.
"What's happening?" Roland leaned out of the window and asked.
"Your Excellency, look," the coachman pointed ahead, where a cleaner was lifting the lid of a sewer and pulling out masses of mud blocking the drain.
The stench forced passers-by to cover their noses and stay away.
"Be careful and drive around it, don't dirty the carriage," Roland instructed. Just as he closed the window, a sudden idea struck him. He pushed open the door and jumped out of the carriage.
The cleaner looked curiously at the person in the magnificent church robe, who did not mind the filth and mud, half-crouched beside the sewer and peered inside.
"How deep is it?" Roland asked. The dark sewer seemed like the entrance to an unknown world, an abyss without a bottom.
"It's very deep, Your Excellency," the cleaner nervously rubbed his hands. "It's like a maze down there. Once a worker went down to clear it, but he never found his way back."
"I've found the answer," Roland thought. He didn't care about the filthy stuff stuck to his robe and excitedly shouted to the coachman, "Go to the municipal building, there should be a construction diagram of the entire drainage system in their records room."
The monster used its shoulder to push open the door. The familiar scent of disinfectant and the warm white light made it feel at ease. As usual, it stood in the corner, looking down at its own feet with a dull stare.
Dozens of workers in white coats were busy and nervous, and hundreds of bodies were scattered on the ground. Every few steps, they would kick an arm or some unknown organ. This place was less like a laboratory and more like a slaughterhouse.
Countless delicate instruments beeped incessantly. On the crystal screens of the equipment, red and green waves continued to fluctuate, some gradually flattening into a straight line, while others fluctuated up and down violently, causing the staff to rush around and talk constantly.
The monster seemed to understand their conversation now. The chaotic sounds that sounded unintelligible before had now formed familiar symbols that depicted actual meaning in its mind.
"Why do I understand ? And who am I?" The monster wondered, but its low intelligence made it unable to think further.
"The success rate is close to 90%, but the stability is very random. Some of them have lived until now, while others have had their bodies disintegrate within hours of awakening," a white-coated worker said.
"Keep experimenting. Science is built on a foundation of countless failures," the leader of the white coats said with a sigh, adjusting his glasses on his nose. "We're just one step away, and I'm impatient to see the perfect combination of magic and science."
"Your theories on electrical science and medicine have already given us unimaginable results," complimented another white coat. "It's hard to imagine that science, which is regarded as a non-mainstream school of thought, can create miracles."
"Not enough," the leader said. "The coordination of delicate fibers, nerve centers, and the functioning of human organs slowly reveals the mysteries of creation. But the fundamental secret of life, how wisdom arises, what exactly is the soul? There are still not enough theories to answer that."
"If I had more authority, I would really like to open the Eternal Reliquary in the hall over there and study it carefully." he continued.
At that moment, the attendant who guards the main hall happened to push open the door and, hearing this, replied unhappily, "Doctor, the master has given you the best experimental equipment and the most generous salary, not for you to satisfy your excessive curiosity, but to help him research a method of eternal life comparable to the Great Resurrection."
"As long as you give me the holy relics to study for a few hours, I would rather not take a penny," the doctor muttered disapprovingly, "Currently, fresh brains are urgently needed. Otherwise, with only the withered brainstem dug up from the grave, we cannot obtain more detailed information."
"Are you going to hunt pedestrians on the surface again like you did several years ago? There are Holy Warriors in the city now. If they catch you, you won't be able to escape," the attendant asked. "Please save some raw materials. Wasn't a fresh corpse fished out of the sea not long ago?"
"That corpse has no complete flesh, but its brain can still be used," the doctor said, looking at the monster standing in the corner. "It is the most successful transformation, with a body made up of the most intact parts of each corpse, combined with the brain of the floating corpse. This new life form was created from all sorts of materials and even has a little intelligence. It knows how to eat at least, and sometimes even goes out for a walk."
The attendant curiously scrutinized the monster. My god, it was terrifying. Standing at almost two meters tall, its arms were of different sizes, obviously taken from two corpses of different builds. The nerves in its eyes had decayed, causing blood to fill the iris and turn them a dark red, like the demon king of hell. From ankle to face, there was not a patch of intact skin the size of a palm, and the body was covered in densely packed needle marks, like an old garment sewn with countless patches.
If it weren't for the slightly undulating chest and the occasional movement of the eyeballs, the attendant would have thought that this was a lifeless specimen created by the doctor when he was bored.
"You mean, this person has intelligence?" The attendant was skeptical.
" Please don't call it a person. Compared to the body maintained by magic in the main hall, this is simply a pile of meat chunks put together as garbage." the doctor said. "I call it the Stitched Monster, its intelligence is still low, it can't even understand language. Otherwise, we could make it do odd jobs for us."
"No, compared to those revived experimental subjects with no intelligence at all, this is already a promising improvement," the attendant said. "The master can't wait any longer. You should focus on researching it, see if you can increase its intelligence and unlock the mysteries of the brain."
The Stitched Monster didn't know how much time had passed. Time, for it, was still an abstract and blurry concept.
Every once in a while, the electric shocks and divine healing made its mind and senses increasingly clear. Many disconnected fragments of memory began to surface gradually.
There was a landscape where tall trees and green grass merged together, a breeze that carried the scent of fresh grass, a fountain where water droplets danced in the sunlight, prosperous shops and a constant stream of people on both sides of the street, a beautiful girl, and the most vivid memory was a solemn and dignified room. A person wearing a black robe and a wig stood on a podium and pronounced a verdict in a loud voice, followed by enthusiastic applause and resentful curses.
"Is that my past life? Why am I here?" The monster thought desperately when no one was around, pounding its head with its fists until it knocked itself out.
The surging thoughts in its mind made it unable to calm down. One time, it raged and nearly strangled a white-coated person to death. From that moment on, the monster's two feet were bound with heavy shackles attached to iron balls.
With the passage of time, it became increasingly proficient in controlling its body. Now, it could move slowly while dragging the iron balls like a normal person. In a sense, it had surpassed normal humans. Perhaps it was the stimulation of electric current or the constant blessings of divine power, the monster's muscles contained an increasingly tremendous power. With just its fingers, it could easily create deep holes in the sturdy walls of the waterway.
Its instinct for cunning and self-protection kept these abilities hidden from others.
However, one day, it was taken to another hall where several transparent tubes connected to wooden cabinets were inserted into its brain.
After the dark red liquid flowed into its brain, it was like a withered plant finding long-lost nutrients or the feeling of dry land meeting heavy rain. The monster moaned comfortably, with every cell actively cheering.
But soon, like seawater engulfing all shallows during high tide, the expanding pressure seemed to crush the entire skull from the inside out. The intense pain made the monster convulse like an electrically shocked frog, and then it fainted.
In a daze, it heard people talking.
"It seems that the body cannot withstand the power of the holy artifact."
"Poor thing, it looks like it's about to die."
"Hah, it was already a dead man. Dying again should be a piece of cake."
"Not necessarily, it's very strong. It should be able to hold on."
Then a furious will shouted, "Damn it, do you think the energy of the Eternal Reliquary is unlimited? Don't waste it on failed experiments anymore."
Before completely losing consciousness, a name jumped into the monster's mind.
It remembered the name it once had - "Albert Fraley."