abcnovels
Chapter 243 Future Path
Chapter 243 Future Path
Chapter 243 Future Path
Upon reflection, Tyler discerned seven pieces of valuable information from his dialogue with the Earthly Ghost.
First, Heloise's infection with the "Parasitic Blood Serpent" was not voluntary; the Earthly Ghost had deceived her under the guise of the "Trial Blood," exploiting her thirst for power.
Second, Heloise's current objective was to restore the glory of the tigermen tribe.
Third, the Earthly Ghost had lost control over Heloise and now merely hoped that she would self-destruct near "Banning."
Fourth, the Earthly Ghost believed that "Banning" was still unaware of the truth about the "Parasitic Blood Serpent."
Fifth, the most effective treatment for the "Parasitic Blood Serpent" was to seek a clergy member in the church.
Sixth, the Earthly Ghost had a companion named the "Heavenly Ghost" who was associated with this event.
Seventh, the Earthly Ghost believed that it had emerged victorious from their verbal duel.
Summarizing, Heloise had entirely sided with Tyler, and they could now communicate openly, eliminating the need for further pretense.
As for the Earthly Ghost, it was likely to remain dormant for the next several days, allowing Tyler to slightly lower his guard.
However, the "Heavenly Ghost," a previously undetected enemy, was a new factor that Tyler had to consider.
— (Could the unknown death on July 8th be related to this 'Heavenly Ghost'?)
.
Tyler entertained the idea and found it highly plausible.
"The future Tyler" had gone back to find Vanessa, so when he arrived in Delis Town, it was several days later than "the current Tyler." In other words, "the future Tyler" might not have experienced the event of a "direct confrontation with the Earthly Ghost," hence remaining oblivious to the existence of the "Heavenly Ghost."
Unaware and unguarded against the "Heavenly Ghost," "the future Tyler" was killed at "3:16 pm on July 8th."
— (However, even if I now know about the Heavenly Ghost, if I cannot figure out how it killed 'the future Tyler,' I might still not be able to prevent it...)
Tyler wanted to take out the photograph of the "Precognitive Death Scene" to examine it, but Heloise, seemingly over her anger, turned around to wait for him. He had to put the photo back for now and find time to study it later.
.
"Felix, did you deceive me about the 'karmic imprint' because you were trying to cure the 'Parasitic Blood Serpent'?"
Heloise posed a rather lethal question shortly after they resumed their journey.
Recognizing that he could no longer conceal the truth from her, Tyler responded honestly.
"Yes, I apologize. I felt there was no other option or plausible excuse that would have persuaded you to cooperate. I extend my sincerest apologies to you."
His heartfelt confession bore the earnest desire for "survival".
One crucial theory in gender psychology is that men prioritize logic, while women value attitude. Therefore, when apologizing to a woman, sincerity is paramount. Deception should be avoided unless one is confident they can maintain the charade forever.
After hearing Tyler's apology, Heloise simply nodded and looked away.
Initially, she had intended to reprimand him, but she was aware that Felix was trying to save her, so she decided to let him off with a mild scare.
Conversely, after hearing how genuinely Felix apologized, Heloise was not upset in the least. Instead, she recalled the first time she undressed before Felix and was overcome with shy emotions, hastily averting her gaze lest Felix noticed her blushing.
"Alright, then, I won't blame you... The Nefarious Tiger King does not punish benevolent lies... The Apostle of the Nefarious Tiger King will not forget the life-saving grace of the Messenger of The Benevolent Deity."
Heloise accepted Felix's apology in a soft voice. Afterward, they resumed their journey in silence for a considerable distance.
.
As they neared Delis Town, Tyler broached the subject again after some thought.
"Heloise, the Earthly Ghost mentioned that you only have a year left. Aren't you afraid?"
"Heh, the Apostles of the Nefarious Tiger King are all brave!" Heloise responded without hesitation, and she even optimistically stated that it wasn't just a year left, but she still had a year.
"There's so much we can do in a year, surely we can find a cure, right, Felix?"
Heloise's positive mood instantly infected Tyler.
— (Yes, if we give up now, even ten years wouldn't make a difference.)
— (But if we don't give up, even a day left could hold hope.)
However, Tyler dared not let Heloise know the cruel truth that the progression of the infection would only take another two or three days.
It was simply too harsh for a young girl of just 17.
At present, Tyler could only hope that the intermediate antidote and purifying potion would have a better effect. Moreover, he hoped that Vanessa's carriage would arrive in Delis Town sooner.
"Indeed, we will definitely find a way," Tyler responded to Heloise's optimism with a smile, then made a silent resolution.
— (I'm sorry, Heloise. 'The future Felix' couldn't save you.)
— (But 'the present me' will definitely expel the 'Parasitic Blood Serpent' from your body!)
.
In the aftermath of making such a vow, Tyler was somewhat agitated.
However, Heloise, perhaps due to her abundant optimism and lack of apprehension, was contemplating a different matter.
— (Since there's no such thing as a 'karmic imprint'... how did Felix know I was infected with the 'Parasitic Blood Serpent'?)
Heloise, who was always forthright, voiced out her question when she couldn't figure out the answer.
"By the way, Felix, how did you initially know that I was infected with the Parasitic Blood Serpent?"
This query instantly doused Tyler's emotional fervor, nearly freezing him solid.
"Also, you seemed very certain that the serpent was in my upper body from the start. I recall that you never asked me to remove my... trousers..."
Heloise's cheeks flushed as she stumbled over her words.
Meanwhile, Tyler's heart had turned to ice.
He couldn't possibly tell Heloise that he had observed her entire bathing routine by the lake through a binocle. No matter how sincere an apology might be for such a heinous, ahem, act, even the most profound knowledge of psychology had its limits.
Therefore, as psychology was rendered useless, Tyler resorted to his only other option - to perpetually keep Heloise in the dark.
"The evil entity that is the Parasitic Blood Serpent, even concealed beneath clothing, cannot escape my detection."
Tyler responded to Heloise's query with such composure that he almost believed it himself.
"It's the power of The Benevolent Deity, isn't it? But... can it ever be inaccurate?" Heloise asked, somewhat embarrassed.
This tricky question left Tyler perplexed. He peered into Heloise's thoughts and found her mental state oddly chaotic, filled with symbols like "#?%*&…" - a sight he had only seen before when Avril was intensely shy.
"Under normal circumstances, the perception granted by divine power is accurate," Tyler cautiously responded, hoping to gauge Heloise's reaction.
Yet, Heloise veered the conversation in a different direction and raised another issue.
"So... tonight... will we... still be sleeping in the same room?"