When the plot-skips players into the game world

Aiwass, after handling the ceremony site, let Sherlock return to the bishop's house alone.

Sherlock initially resisted this—he had wanted to hide this incident and not tell anyone he knew about his shrinkage. After all, once he was promoted again, he would return to his original size.

This immediately invigorated Sherlock, who had originally had little desire for promotion.

However, he was persuaded by Aiwass's words, "Don't you want to go back to sleep?" Still somewhat reluctant, he chose to obey his body's needs.

—In all fairness, he was indeed a bit sleepy.

After all, he had spent the previous night under the Stupidity Curse, exerting all his effort to learn two subjects he was not good at. Once he roughly mastered them, Aiwass's ritual reformed his body.

As for Sherlock, who hadn't eaten or drunk much water all night, now in the body of a thirteen- or fourteen-year-old teenager, wearing uncomfortable clothes, craning his neck to scrub walls for an hour, and helping Aiwass move a dead cow out—the last task nearly exhaust him.

"...Do you have to drag me into your work!? Or are you saying I didn't actually help much, and in the end, it was all you anyway?" Sherlock couldn't help saying.

"That's right, but don't even think of running away alone."

Aiwass chuckled, "It's good brothers who share the work!"

After forcibly dragging Sherlock to finish the work, Aiwass used a "Rite of Fire," and invigorated, went to help Hayna deal with the Gryphon matter.

Sherlock lacked the ability to restore his vitality. And after the "Stupidity Curse" stopped affecting him for a while due to the ritual, he vaguely began to feel his head hurt again.

However, it was better than before. Now, it was about the level of a normal headache, which he often experienced while working late; it was still bearable.

Although he hadn't advanced yet, Sherlock's body had become much stronger than before—if he had been dragged to do so much physical labor before his induction ceremony, he would certainly be sprawled out on the ground by now.

Sherlock suddenly understood—so "sharing the work" was your way of testing the effects of your ritual!

So you didn't know the effects of the ritual yourself!

After Aiwass finished observing, Sherlock, feeling cold, tired, hungry, and weak, eventually bit back his words that "I won't tell anyone about this" and dejectedly ran back to the bishop's house.

"You're here—"

Mrs. Mina, having just gotten up, came to open the door when she heard the doorbell.

She originally thought it might be someone delivering the newspaper or selling milk. But upon opening the door and seeing a young Sherlock in loose-fitting clothing, Mrs. Mina stood at the door, hesitating for a while.

Then, she blinked her eyes—at that moment, a brilliance like scattered stars enveloped her gaze.

This was the unique Astral Vision of Prophets on the Path of Adaptation. It easily revealed a person's fundamental spirit quality, thereby distinguishing their true identity.

The next moment, Mrs. Mina showed a surprised expression:

"...Are you, Sherlock?"

"I thank you, ma'am, for not saying something hurtful like 'who's this kid.'"

The teenage version of Sherlock sighed, waved the sleeve that covered half his fingers: "This is Aiwass's new invention, impressive, right?"

"You're really cute."

Mrs. Mina first complimented him with a smile before welcoming Sherlock into the house.

She and Bishop Mathers had no children. They had cared for Sherlock as if he were their own child...

And now that he truly had taken on a younger appearance, this naturally made Mrs. Mina even happier.

"I'd prefer it if you said I'm now youthful and energetic,"

Sherlock said coolly, lifting the corners of his mouth with both hands, forcing a smile, "Otherwise, I feel like I'm about to fall asleep any second, haha."

He couldn't help but have his hair ruffled by Mrs. Mina: "Oh, poor thing... your hair has gotten finer and softer as well. But you do seem more energetic than before... Like, if it were the old you, probably just deeply sighing and then after entering, would slump on the sofa, lazily asking me for a cup of hot apple cider."

Sherlock wanted to argue, but he realized Mrs. Mina was telling the truth. So, he chose to remain silent.

Mrs. Mina sighed, "This is extraordinary, a rejuvenation ritual..."

She was not an ordinary person ignorant of the Transcendent Path.

Having met with many secret Prophets, she was all the more aware of the incredibleness of Aiwass's ritual.

"The aging of people as time goes by falls under the Domain of the Hourglass; and the growth, development, change and aging of the body relate to the Domain of Blood of the Path of Love. You two are neither of Balance nor of Love, yet managed to achieve the miracle of reversing time... It's just like him. No matter what miracles he performs now, I think I wouldn't be surprised at all."

Mrs. Mina sighed, "When I last divined, I noticed that his fate line was closely tied to many a 'Superior Phantom.' At that time I wondered if he was a reincarnated Celestial Marshal... but then I did another reading and found that he is indeed just a human."

Sherlock immediately understood what Mina meant.

Besides the usual meaning of Superior Phantoms, Angel Envoys, Celestial Marshals, and Pillar Gods also fall under the classification of Superior Phantoms.