Ebner didn't fly far with the sack containing Dunn. He only left the city before landing on the ground. He came to a bungalow he had rented as a fake.
This house was rather far from the three Churches, and the Tussock River flowed nearby, making it very convenient to escape.
As for Ebner, he had already set up a ritual in the hall to conceal the phenomenon and sound. Therefore, the moment he entered, he placed Dunn's "corpse" on the prepared altar.
In a remote suburban house, dim crimson moonlight, flickering candlelight, sinister and mysterious symbols… and an altar with corpses on it…
Such a scene made even the host of the suspected "evil" ritual feel odd. He couldn't help but lampoon.
It's clearly a ritual of the orthodox Churches. The host is a Blessed, and the one being rescued is also a "hero" of noble character… But why does this scene look like a supervillain? Anyone who sees it will probably report it.
After easing his anxiety, he carefully took out a tin box from his pocket. He removed the spirituality seal on the tin box and took out the Black Stone of Life that Earth Mother had given him.
Ebner took a deep breath, prepared to flee at any moment. He walked forward and unbuttoned Dunn's shirt, revealing his obviously stitched chest. Then, he solemnly placed the black gem on his left chest.
The moment the Stone of Life touched Dunn's body, it melted and seeped into his chest. Then, his entire body was surrounded by red and green colors, emitting intertwining red and green beams of light.
Upon seeing this scene, Ebner heaved a sigh of relief. This was because a phenomenon of this level couldn't break through the ritual he had set up… At least he didn't have to flee.
As he relaxed, he activated the White Eye and carefully observed the changes in Dunn's body as a result of his accumulated knowledge.
Although Ebner didn't know what the complete acting method of a Polymath was, accumulating different types of knowledge was definitely one of them.
Just like that, about thirty minutes later, Dunn, who was lying on the altar, slowly opened his eyes. However, his eyes were unfocused, as though he was in a daze.
That was indeed the case. When Dunn woke up, he felt as though he was having a chaotic dream.
In the dream, he became the little Ett who broke down on the spot and cried after his first dangerous mission. He became Rozanne's mother, Adelaide who had once blocked an evil curse with her arm. He became the beautiful Dwayne who had the warm temperament of dawn… Of course, he also became Dunn Smith, who died after triggering the power of Saint Selena's ashes with his heart…
"Who are you?" At that moment, an ethereal voice seemed to reach his ears from the horizon. It carried a warm and comforting power.
"Who am I? Who am I… Who am I!" The confused Dunn's eyes seemed to focus when he heard the voice. He repeated the question over again as images flashed through his mind.
There was Adelaide who liked to read, and the scene of her reading in the solarium. There was the scene of little Ett often hunting in the forest, and Dwayne always standing by the window of her bedroom, quietly watching the pedestrians…
Finally, the scene was of him hugging Daly in the office as Dunn…
"Daly…" After reciting the name, Dunn acted like a lost ship that had finally found a harbor to dock at. He "threw" his "anchor."
"I'm Dunn Smith! Captain of the Tingen Nighthawks, as well as… Daly's lover." Dunn's eyes regained their lucidity as he recalled the scenes before he was killed.
Although he was still unable to move, his mind was rapidly analyzing the situation. He should be dead… Why would he revive?
Did some cultist steal my corpse and attempt to control my resurrected self?
Or did Daly do something silly like Old Neil?
Just as he was feeling worried, a dusty memory suddenly appeared in his mind.
It was a Friday in the middle of July. He was originally patrolling Raphael Cemetery when he was pulled into an independent space by a silver-haired vampire in a red shirt and black high-collar coat.
The vampire had said something strange like "a favor for a friend I've never met before," and had bitten him on the neck without any explanation. He even said that it was to "ensure" himself…
And after that, there was a conversation between him and himself… Dunn felt that the conversation had a lot to do with his current situation, so he tried hard to recall it. Finally, he recalled the scene in his mind.
After the silver-haired vampire bit Dunn's neck, he released the suppression effect on Dunn. He smiled and said, "I sealed half of your soul and the portion of Beyonder characteristics that you haven't digested yet with special methods.
"Heh heh, without the burden of the excess characteristics, your mental state will gradually improve, and your forgetfulness can also be improved. However, having lost half a soul, even if I use the method of Creation to help you mend it, your resistance to mental spells, especially mental curses, will still be much weaker."
Dunn touched the spot where his neck had been bitten. Without a change in expression, he asked softly, "Why did you do that?"
Life Creation. This term sounded like a technique only high-level Beyonders had.
"Like I said, I'm only providing you with a safeguard to prevent any accidents… Let's put it this way, if you unfortunately die, half of your mind will seep out along with the Beyonder characteristics that you've digested. In the eyes of others, especially one of the pens, you really are dead!
"However, the characteristic and soul I sealed came from you after all. Once someone holds the Stone of Life I refined to remove the seal, they will automatically trigger an Alchemical Life ritual, allowing you to revive…
"However, your soul wasn't complete back then. Your soul might've been stitched with the remnant psyche from the characteristic you didn't digest…
"As for who will control your mind in the end, that will depend on you."
At this point, the devilish silver-haired vampire revealed a beautiful smile and continued, "Alright, let's end it here for today. I've tampered with your memories. In a while, you'll forget about meeting me. You'll only remember it after the seal is removed."
When he recalled this, Dunn subconsciously wanted to touch his neck, but unfortunately, he realized that he was still unable to move.
However, he immediately sensed that something was amiss because the surroundings didn't seem real to him. Instead, it felt like a scene from a "dream."
After figuring this out, as an experienced Nightmare, Dunn immediately activated his powers in a bid to escape the dream. However, the chaos in his mind assaulted him, causing his powers to fail. He nearly suffered a backlash.
At that moment, the surroundings shattered. Dunn immediately felt that he had regained control of his body. He immediately sat up and looked around. What entered his vision was a hall that looked like a cult's ritual and a young man with a thin face and a goatee.
The young man was naturally Ebner. After Dunn woke up, he was afraid that Dunn would overreact and attract the official Beyonders. Therefore, he simulated a Nightmare and pulled him into a dream, intending to communicate with him there.
But to his surprise, Dunn's mind was in such a mess that he couldn't even use his Nightmare powers. He didn't manage to see through the reality of being in the dream and instead recalled the matters between him and the vessel of Earth Mother's descent.
As for Ebner, he was naturally very interested in this, so he decided to go through a round of temptations and "watched" a "documentary" on his dream island for free.
Who is the friend that Lilith mentioned about not meeting? Klein? But combined with that conversation… It might also be directed at me… After all, before everything happened, there was someone who was willing to save Dunn. It could only be me who knew the plot, right?
Upon thinking of this, Ebner felt flattered. What did he do to deserve a deity to be his "friend!"
Of course, this might also be Lilith's nonsense. After all, "She" said that "She" was under the Ancestor's orders… "She" is clearly the Ancestor's incarnation. This Lilith… seems to have a lot of humanity in her.
Dunn, who sat up, saw that the young man who seemed to be the host of the ritual was staring at him without saying a word. He could only take the lead and ask solemnly, "Who are you?"
Upon hearing that, Ebner snapped to his senses. He thought about the prototype of the figure he had disguised himself with his Faceless powers. Then, he thought of the possible "acting" method he could use in the future and replied with a chuckle,
"You can call me… Doctor Strange."