Chapter 21: Trap (First Update, Seeking First Subscription!)
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After the Tarot meeting ended, only Klein and Ning Lu remained above the gray fog. In the gray fog's circular area, Klein looked somewhat puzzled and said to Ning Lu:
"What are you planning to give to 'The Sun'? Can that thing really help the True Creator gradually awaken?"
Klein currently isn't very clear about high-sequence mysticism knowledge, only having some understanding of "sequences" and "cats" and similar knowledge.
This high-end mysticism knowledge he obtained partly from Roselle's diary, and partly from what Ning Lu told him after interpreting the Aurora Order's scriptures.
Of course, recently in frequent correspondence with Mr. Azik, Mr. Azik has also provided some knowledge that Klein didn't know before.
"Helping the True Creator awaken is quite impossible."
"According to my estimation, in the thousands of years of being sealed in the 'God-Forsaken Land', there probably aren't many living beings left, no way to serve as the True Creator's anchor. But..."
Before Klein could show confusion, Ning Lu added:
"This is insurance for you to bring up a resident from the 'God-Forsaken Land'."
"Do you still remember what Roselle said in his diary? If he had a chance to do it over, he would definitely choose one among the Diviner, Thief, and Apprentice pathways. And these three pathways are closely related to the mystery of our transmigration to this world."
"You should still remember who I told you the original owner of this body we transmigrated into was?"
"What I 'possessed' was a split body of the Angel King named 'Amon' at the top of the 'Thief' pathway."
Klein thought for a moment: "That's correct, but what does this have to do with what you're preparing?"
Ning Lu continued Klein's words:
"After coming to Backlund, I investigated the Aurora Order's internal ancient materials and obtained this information:"
"Amon still has another identity, that is 'King of the Ancient Era'. Although not one of the eight great kings, he is the son of the Creator worshipped by Silver City."
Klein: "Huh?"
"I seriously suspect that Amon still has split bodies wandering in the God-Forsaken Land—and will actively devour those cities that no longer worship his father due to the dark catastrophe."
"He seems a bit too unreasonable." Klein heard Ning Lu's answer, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly:
"If he wants revenge, he should go find those betraying Angel Kings. What does it have to do with his father's believers?"
The corner of Ning Lu's mouth slightly raised a faint smile: "He's just that kind of person who bullies the weak and fears the strong."
This kind of Amon is no longer ordinary Amon, needs heavy punches!
Klein touched his chin, and after thinking for several seconds, looked at Ning Lu again, somewhat suspiciously saying:
"Speaking of which, you do seem to have inherited the memory of Amon's split body, so you have methods to deal with him?"
Zhou Mingrui inherited "Klein's" memory when transmigrating, so similarly, Ning Lu inheriting Amon's split body's memory when transmigrating is natural.
Ning Lu smiled and said:
"Moreover, only oneself knows what oneself fears most, so what I want to give him is a sugar-coated trap."
That's right, a trap. A trap specifically targeting the high sequences of the three secret pathways, or even specifically targeting Amon.
Ning Lu remembered very clearly that among the high sequences of the secret pathways in the "God-Forsaken Land", there were only "Original Witch" and "Fool".
The Original Witch is currently deeply suffering from the random pollution of the Goddess of Night, unable to fully control her own state, still relying on the Celestial Worthy's small blanket state.
But in the original timeline, Amon truly parasitized "The Sun" Derrick Berg, and nearly followed the little sun's body directly all the way to the Tarot meeting. In the end, Klein used ritual magic to clear away Amon's split body in Silver City.
For this, Amon had better prepare first, preventing Ning Lu from having The Sun join the Tarot meeting again. And that was also an experiment.
Evil god. From beginning to end, Amon never completely suspected the Celestial Worthy—even though the Celestial Worthy appeared harmless on the surface, he was still one of the eight pillars in that world leaning toward the "chaotic evil" camp of the Old Ones, the smallest in that universe.
Therefore, Amon planned to use his mastery of this piece of gray fog in the "original timeline" to create a fragment containing his own and the Celestial Worthy's will, using the "Fool's" aura as bait to attract Ning Lu, then eliminate that split body of his!
Based on Amon's understanding of Ning Lu, he knew that if Ning Lu discovered one of his split bodies was possessed by the Celestial Worthy, he would immediately make that split body self-destruct; at the same time, even just information about the Celestial Worthy would be pollution for Ning Lu.
Angel Kings can only resolve part of the pollution produced by Old One information, not immune to information pollution about Old One Dominators!
For abnormal low-sequence extraordinary people, regardless of whether they belong to one of the "Emperor's" omniscient and omnipotent seven pathways, as long as they understand information about the Old Ones, they're very likely to suffer severe pollution!
Therefore, even if victorious, Ning Lu would only suspect the Celestial Worthy was behind the Tarot meeting and become more suspicious of the Tarot meeting.
In the late night before the Tarot meeting began, Amon smoothly attacked Trier.
In Trier, the "Coldness" organization was gradually taking shape, and Klein also smoothly found himself a batch of subordinates—Klein personally visited several merchants, both building bridges and gradually establishing a merchant association, accumulating a small group of fighters to take over the "East District's" territory.
Of course, the Poison Thorn Gang and the Sawa Party also contributed significantly:
The Poison Thorn Gang's own bosses were secretly cooperating with Klein, and some merchants not supported by parties had long suffered from the Sawa Party, so finding a backer was naturally good.
Even though this backer's requirements were rather harsh, strict to the point of being somewhat like daylight robbery, the merchants supported by Klein were quite willing to join this increasingly powerful merchant association, after all they could clearly see the benefits in it.
However, the Poison Thorn Gang and Sawa Party weren't completely inactive—the former was "Roger's" one-man show, while within the Sawa Party there was certain wariness toward this new "opponent", and they successively assassinated Klein's surface subordinate, also the only subordinate that could be found.
Of course, Klein had long ago set traps around the Golden Wine Tavern, burying all the assassins who came completely at the edge of his territory, like a silent warning.
In this situation, Klein clearly felt that the "Provocateur" potion was just one step away, and now was planning to assassinate several gang leaders to simultaneously digest "Provocateur" and "Assassin", hoping to quickly advance to "Arsonist"!
"Blessed be the Mysterious Yellow Heaven, Blessed be the Mysterious Yellow Celestial Worthy."
After setting up the "Spirit Wall" and reciting the mysterious text from the East, Klein placed several items beside himself, once again completing the channeling ritual, respectfully saying to the shadow emerging in the candlelight:
"Godfather!"
"You received a reply from 'Mr. Poster', would you like to see it?"
"Let me see." Amon's phantom appeared in the swaying candlelight center, dense gray atmosphere shrouded around the candlelight, adding some eerie atmosphere to the spacious room with dancing light and shadows.
In the eight days since coming to the "original timeline", besides maintaining "White Copper" Roger's identity, Amon spent all remaining time researching whether he could strip away his own spiritual imprint, creating traps to deal with "Ning Lu".
In the process of successfully creating corresponding charms, he also obtained many surprising byproducts. The phantom currently assisting the "channeling ritual" was one of these byproducts, one of Amon's research results.
After reading the letter Klein spread before him, Amon heard Klein eagerly asking:
"Godfather, you have a request. Hope you can help me infiltrate that Curly Hair Research Society."
"You see, the Curly Hair Research Society might require certain examinations, but since you're from the same 'hometown', you might not be able to pass that examination."
There is indeed certain difficulty. "You mean the Goddess of Night?" Klein thought for a moment:
"But if it's just letting him contact part of the Curly Hair Research Society members, you still have your own methods. However, after that his mental state must pass muster, otherwise it's easy to expose himself."
Klein looked somewhat confused: "Mental state?"
Thinking of this, Amon's expression immediately became somewhat unpleasant:
"For the next two weeks, he should pay attention to whether anyone wants to inquire about 'Coldness' boss information. Some of these people might have very strange reactions. You'll give him some keywords beforehand, and whatever situation arises, he should report directly to you."
"This might be the opportunity to let him join that research society."
Others might be possible, but "former" Melan Card, that silver-blooded second-generation, could generally see the connection between the "boss" and "Coldness Organization", and you happen to be in Trier.
Besides, Amon just thought of another channel—temporarily disguising his identity as the Celestial Worthy, so "Fool's" members would have a high probability of being fooled.
After all, except for "Loki" and "me" as examples, other "Fool" members all have big problems with their brains.
The only problem was that Klein might not control his emotions when seeing "Fool" members. If he really wanted to contact them through this method, he must prepare items for disguise.
After exchanging recent information with Klein again, when the candles lit for the ritual were about to burn out, Klein brought up Charlie's recent encounters and mentioned Sulie's matter.
With the "Coldness" subordinate identity and connections with the police system, Klein very smoothly pulled Charlie from the police station and sent this informant to the "Eternal Blazing Sun" church.
The only problem was that afterward the person threatening Charlie, Sulie, targeted himself, so Klein wanted to ask his godfather how to deal with this threat.
However, Amon's impression of Sulie wasn't very deep. In his vague memory, there was only the scene of his extraordinary ability being killed by "mysticism late shot"...
Although greatly experiencing the "patient book" experience of knowledge being power, Klein still said without changing expression:
"Later, didn't 'Magician' let him go assist Ostertel in approaching Mr. K? He can seek Mr. K's protection. As for reasons and such, he can make them up himself."
"Although Mr. K might not necessarily solve Susanna, I am a backup of a certain existence, with sufficient ability."
"Come find you when there's really no other way."
After watching Klein for several seconds, Amon smiled and said to Klein: "How is his potion digestion going?"
"'Provocateur' is just one step away, 'Assassin' has also digested most of it... The potion digestion of these two pathways seems complementary." Klein thought briefly in his heart.
"Godfather, you feel you can probably digest completely in about two days and advance again."
"Tell you when he completely digests these two pathways, you'll bring him the remaining 'Arsonist' characteristics." Amon nodded.
"After he advances, you'll extract the seal equivalent to Sequence 4 from his body. With less burden in his body, his advancement success rate will be higher."
Although Klein hadn't yet completely consumed the spiritual imprints in the extraordinary characteristics of the two destiny pathways in his body, since Klein still needed time to digest the potions, Amon wasn't in a hurry.
Moreover, Amon still had over a week of surplus time, with many opportunities to digest "Dancer" and "Monster" during this week.
The Qilingos incident was the biggest opportunity.
"Good." Klein said confidently.
"Mr. A, Duke Negan's banquet time is almost here, you should set off."
The "Hermit" disguised as a butler knocked heavily on Amon's room door with his finger. Dressed in formal wear and cologne, Amon's red hair was combed back, looking more like nobility than real nobles.
"Coming." Amon arranged his collar, walking toward the door according to noble bearing, casually saying to the shadow beside him:
"Remember the position I assigned you, don't make mistakes."
"As soon as you see the target, immediately use 'Traveler's' ability to transport me to the underground church you newly built, let all companions participating in the siege solve Qilingos at the fastest speed, then wait for you to return."
"If time is delayed, then it's very likely he'll be caught by Storm Church's high priest, thus exposing the Lord's condition—so this operation only allows success, not failure."
Chapter 22: Dance of Destiny (Second Update)
Mr. A said quietly to Ning Lu, his figure quickly disappearing into the darkness.
Ning Lu withdrew his gaze, walking toward the carriage position accompanied by many servants, his shadow slowly lengthening under the lamplight, merging into the quiet night.
Tonight, he would direct Qilingos's death, dancing in destiny's torrent.
In Backlund's Queens District, Duke Negan's mansion, a grand ball was gradually beginning.
The ball was divided into two parts: the hall paved with gorgeous stone slabs was for dancing, with Duke Negan's personal orchestra around the hall; while going up the stairs on both sides of the hall was a corridor surrounding the entire second floor.
Guests either held wine glasses overlooking the dancing and fencing activities below, or invited ladies and misses to dance in the hall.
In another part of the corridor, passing through a pair of open doors led to the other part of the entire ball—fine wine and delicacies placed on long tables, with another orchestra playing melodious songs for the guests.
Ning Lu walked into the hall with a nobleman who sought his help but was unwilling to let go of his aristocratic pride and dignity, quietly discussing matters about titles:
"That's roughly it. I'm willing to help you build bridges. At the latest by New Year, you'll be able to reclaim your family's honor."
"Thank you." Ning Lu concealed his true feelings, smiling:
"The Freed family won't forget friends. Haha, although my family has declined, I believe our family's glory still flows in my bloodline."
"I've always believed so." This man understood the hint in Ning Lu's words, nodding satisfactorily. Just as he wanted to say more, Ning Lu suddenly frowned:
"Sorry, excuse me for a moment."
Does Freed have other acquaintances here? The man's eyebrows moved slightly, following Ning Lu's gaze toward the beautiful figure walking in the distant corridor.
The youngest daughter of the Hall family, Backlund's most dazzling gem. The man naturally shifted his gaze elsewhere, casually holding a nearby wine glass while paying attention to what "Dionysus" was doing.
He planned to observe the relationship between his new "friend" and Miss Audrey. If he really climbed onto the Hall family's big ship, then he might further invest in Freed to gain more benefits.
On the other side, Ning Lu had walked beside Audrey, smiling:
"Hello, Miss Hall."
Ning Lu didn't introduce himself, as "Dwayne" had received much care from Audrey in Backlund. Audrey naturally recognized the "Dwayne" identity—besides, how could it be possible to run the company so well in such a short time?
"Lover" gentleman? This is his disguise? Seeing the very handsome, wine-red haired "Lover" walking toward her, Audrey felt mixed emotions.
On one hand, there was the freshness of finally meeting a Tarot meeting companion in the real world, on the other hand, slight embarrassment that the other party had disguised his appearance while she appeared with her true face.
But suddenly, Audrey realized something:
At yesterday's Tarot meeting, "Lover" gentleman said he was preparing to assassinate Qilingos in the near future. These past few days he hadn't attended any noble banquets or literary salons, seemingly all preparing for today.
Plus the intelligence Xio and Forsi told me about Qilingos's movement pattern.
"Creeping Hunger" has the ability to change into different appearances.
Qilingos infiltrated Backlund to obtain something.
Qilingos wouldn't, wouldn't have infiltrated tonight's banquet!
Audrey's pupils momentarily froze, immediately thinking of the worst situation, only able to force a smile:
"Hello, Mr. Dwayne."
"About what happened last time, I'm still very grateful to Miss Ning." Ning Lu smiled at Audrey:
"Today I wanted to discuss some 'business' with friends. Originally wanted to encounter Miss Ning here by chance, but didn't expect to meet right away."
Audrey unconsciously entered "mind reader" state, observing Ning Lu's micro-expressions:
He's hinting at something to me. The "business" he mentioned isn't Audrey's company business, but related to Freed?
Right, he means the transaction with "Hanged Man" gentleman!
"Being able to help him is good."
Audrey's mouth also showed a perfect smile:
"After all, we chatted very happily about literature and art before. Being able to help your friend is naturally something uplifting."
Clearly it's Dwayne, he's no longer a big boy! Audrey thought in her heart, feeling as if she had a special sense of relaxation.
Just then, Ning Lu's voice reached Audrey's ears again.
"I do hope Miss Ning could help me with another favor. Tonight's collaboration with others has some problems."
"Justice" Miss, you're still an acting genius. Ning Lu showed a thoughtful expression, saying calmly:
"Of course, constantly asking Miss Ning for help would seem too presumptuous. If Miss Ning doesn't like what you have, but personally speaking, I hope to exchange Miss Ning's help with half the amount of this collaboration."
You guessed correctly that it's reward. "Lover" gentleman's collaboration refers to Freed's bounty! Audrey felt delighted:
"What do you hope I'll do, Mr. Dwayne?"
"Lover's" words flashed in Audrey's ears, and Audrey saw the "Lover" before her take two steps forward, then show a formulaic smile.
She also felt strange and followed Ning Lu's gaze to the side, seeing a curly-haired, light blue gentleman approaching.
That's Countess Grayfer.
"Am I disturbing you?" Countess Grayfer smiled and curtsied: "Hello, Miss Ning. You're the most dazzling gem at this ball."
Countess Grayfer only chatted briefly, symbolically greeting before walking toward the main door, leaving only the two staying in place.
Suddenly, Audrey noticed "Lover's" lips suddenly moved, saying in an extremely low voice:
"Did you notice?"
Indeed, many details on his body had changed. Some things about Dwayne and Countess Grayfer weren't very familiar. As a "mind reader", your ability is much stronger than before.
With Ning Lu's reminder, Audrey quickly discovered problems with Countess Grayfer's body, her face immediately becoming ugly!
Indeed, that Countess Grayfer wasn't Freed disguised!
"I hope he can communicate with his father Count Ning within 15 minutes. That's worth half the reward." Ning Lu smiled at Audrey:
"If he wishes, I'll stay near his family to provide protection."
Audrey's heart flashed some doubts. After confirming no one was around, she also quietly asked: "Why 15 minutes?"
"Because I suspect even without your reminder he could discover the problem, but whether too early or too late might make my business impossible to complete or have loopholes. Better to control the time well, giving you enough time to complete the whole thing."
Ning Lu looked around to see no one else, leaning against the wall, continuing to say to Audrey:
"Besides, Duke Negan is a Storm believer, and I don't have a secret identity for collecting bounties."
Right, "Lover" gentleman is Aurora Order's divine envoy. If Storm Church knew his identity, the church's extraordinary people would probably shift attention to fully assassinate "Lover" gentleman.
But I'm only a Tarot meeting partner. What Qilingos did was all good deeds... I really don't seem like Aurora Order's style as reported in newspapers...
Audrey maintained an appropriate smile: "I understand. I'm very happy to do this."
Ning Lu nodded, walking toward the hall's position. In the few seconds of walking, Ning Lu quickly went through the situation here in his mind.
Audrey's father Count Ning and the Cabinet Secretary were now near the "dining hall" position. Duke Negan was on the corridor above the dance floor, admiring the scenery in the center of the dance floor.
Freed disguised as Countess Grayfer needed time to prepare, familiarize with surroundings and plan escape routes. All needed at most twenty minutes for repeated calculation, ensuring even facing extra extraordinary people, there would be sufficient margin to leave...
The "15 minutes" mentioned to Audrey was enough for extraordinary people attending Duke Negan's ball to prepare and ambush Freed, but not enough to notify Storm Church's demigod, "God's Singer" Ace Snake.
Everything was ready.
Ning Lu casually took some food while naturally conversing with several gentlemen around.
The lady specifically watching Ning and Audrey's conversation naturally introduced "Dwayne Dantes" to her friends, obviously laying groundwork for her affairs.
After a while, Ning Lu felt the atmosphere become slightly tense. Looking around, indeed, gentlemen with various extraordinary abilities had gathered.
The lady specifically watching Ning and Audrey's conversation naturally introduced "Backlund's Audrey" to her friends, obviously laying groundwork for her affairs.
After a while, Ning Lu felt the atmosphere become slightly tense. His guess was correct. Looking around, indeed, gentlemen with various extraordinary abilities had all gathered, waiting for Freed's appearance.
"Audrey, you asked your friends for me." The lady maintained her plate's cover, saying to "Davis" before her:
"The king recently intends to confer a batch of nobles. If he plans to reclaim his title after New Year, he needs to prepare this month."
Ning Lu's eyebrows moved slightly, deliberately showing confusion and gratitude: "I see. I'll prepare early. Thank you."
"Being able to make a declining surname shine again is also my honor. You're not..."
The lady's words weren't finished when the sound of breaking glass came from nearby, followed by screams that immediately made their faces pale:
"What happened?"
But just then, they saw Backlund's expression unchanged beside them, seemingly not hearing the nearby screams.
Just as the lady was at a loss, the next moment, an invisible wave slowly swept from nearby toward all directions. The lady immediately felt uncontrollable fear, screamed, completely losing her usual pursued etiquette and dignity, like a frightened beast immediately running away.
Similar scenes kept happening throughout the ball. Soon, the venue fell into chaos. Seeing this, Ning Lu quickly placed his hand on his chest, seeming to nod toward some invisible gaze in the air.
Although no one could see through the initial disguise to see Ning Lu, the "author" weaving the script inherently involved certain "destiny". In the tide of the times, everything happening now was naturally the "torrent of destiny"!
In the chaos, sounds of fighting and destruction continued. Ning Lu entered the crowd during the confusion, seeming to be swept by the crowd toward the ballroom.
But looking carefully, one would find his movements were extremely methodical, quickly approaching the corridor location.
This was where Freed and Duke Negan plus many extraordinary people were fighting!
For a moment, Ning looked like he was dancing against the crowd. The crowd with extraordinary abilities was like an irresistible torrent of destiny, making Ning Lu in silk formal wear shuttling through the crowd like a butterfly dancing in a whirlpool.
He watched Freed running toward his direction, gradually slowing his pace, step by step passing by Freed.
Everyone around Ning Lu seemed like marionettes in his eyes, invisible strings rising from each of their joints toward the sky.
Just then, he happened to turn his head, several flashes of light passed through his eyes:
"Mental guidance." "Mental interference." "Illusion."
These mental extraordinary abilities were the key to ensuring Freed entered the encirclement as he predicted, also a powerful lead.
Mr. A was also in position. Mission accomplished.
Ning Lu's steps suddenly stopped, like other people running around in panic, looking toward the broken window with lingering fear.
But in the depths of his gaze was calm like the deep sea. He stood in place, feeling two Sequence 4 extraordinary characteristics in his body completely integrating into his body.Chapter 23: "The Death of Qilingers" (Third Update)
In the moment of leaping out the window, Qilingers only felt that his brain was exceptionally clear.
Under the protection of the wind, he glided through the air as if he had grown wings, and when he touched the ground, he used his feet forcefully and disappeared from everyone's sight.
How did they know I was going to assassinate Duke Negan and prepare an ambush for me in advance? Qilingers' gaze was dark, quickly running toward the woods on the opposite side according to his previously formulated plan.
As long as he could escape pursuit, he could rely on "Creeping Hunger's" ability to change appearance to blend into Backlund, and no one would be able to find him again.
Even the demigods of the Storm Church would be unable to find him among Backlund's five million people - this would be like finding a needle in a haystack!
After shaking off his pursuers, Qilingers gradually slowed his pace, preparing to forge his action trail, but at this moment, his gaze suddenly froze:
By the lakeside, in the woods, a person dressed entirely in black robes stood quietly there, with their back turned.
A wild Beyonder conducting a secret ritual?
The corner of Qilingers' mouth slightly hooked up, his gaze suddenly becoming cold.
He didn't intend to leave traces of his actions for the official Beyonders to find him through this wild Beyonder in front of him, and besides, this wild Beyonder in front of him could also serve as suitable food for "Creeping Hunger."
Qilingers slowed his steps, walking step by step toward that black-robed person.
But at this moment, this person dressed in black robes suddenly raised their head, letting out an inhuman laugh from their throat:
"Mister Qilingers. No. Saint, your calculations are flawless, Qilingers, you indeed came here."
"This is the Lord's guidance!"
"For the Lord's glory!"
Suddenly, the black-robed person revealed a demonic, nearly feminine lower half of their face, and before Qilingers could react, spoke in a deep and solemn voice:
"I come, I see, I record."
A door rapidly opened behind the black-robed person. Just as Qilingers was about to act, he saw the black-robed person step forward and suddenly reach out to pull him into this door.
As the door closed, the surroundings returned to silence once again.
After more than ten minutes, the "God's Singer" who had just received the news brought a group of people like a storm to this place. He surveyed the surroundings once, and his already exceptionally serious expression became somewhat gloomy:
"The trail disappears here."
After intense dizziness, Qilingers' vision refocused, and several thoughts arose in his mind:
"Is it that 'Traveler' woman I encountered before?"
"No, from what he just said, it's people from the 'Aurora Order' ambushing me!"
"How did they know I would come here? Why did they want to ambush me?"
Whether they were enemy or friend, Qilingers had not thought about at all.
Because when he was pulled into this place, he had already seen several pairs of eyes hidden in the shadows, seen that "Traveler" who had torn off his upper garments and had blood-red robes gradually growing out.
"Traveler"? Qilingers almost wanted to curse in his heart:
This is definitely not a "Traveler"! This is absolutely a "Shepherd" who has grazed a "Traveler"!
His reliance on becoming the "Admiral of Blood" was just an item formed by a "Shepherd's" Beyonder characteristic - "Creeping Hunger," which could not compare at all with a real "Shepherd"!
As the Admiral of Blood, Qilingers had a certain understanding of the Aurora Order - "Star Admiral" Ludwig, who was also a pirate admiral, was familiar with the ladies and gentlemen of the Aurora Order, and he had also cooperated with the Aurora Order to a certain extent.
He knew that the Aurora Order's entire purpose was to make their worshipped "Lord" descend again to this world. As long as it contradicted their purpose, whether it was partners who had cooperated the day before or the closest family members, they could be completely ruthless.
Combined with what this "Shepherd" had said before, Qilingers didn't need to think to understand that his current situation seemed somewhat dangerous, not very safe.
Moreover, this was not something that could be persuaded with words or Beyonder abilities. Only by fighting desperately to carve out a bloody path would there be a possibility of leaving this place.
Fortunately, Qilingers could still comfort himself like this:
Although he was now transported to an unknown place, it was still better than the previous situation where he might be hunted down by Storm Church demigods at any time!
Just as "Creeping Hunger" on Qilingers' hand was about to change, he saw a "young person" whose face seemed shrouded in a layer of faint darkness push open the door, and "Creeping Hunger" immediately stopped the "grazing" process.
This was a "Shadow Assassin."
After seeing this somewhat too obvious characteristic, Qilingers immediately felt some association in his heart, and a smile of relief suddenly appeared on his face.
At the last moment of Qilingers' life, what he saw was a large patch of shadow spells rushing toward him and a black knight wrapped in pitch-black armor with red light flashing in his eyes.
Inside Duke Negan's mansion, Ning Lu casually picked up an untouched glass of red wine from the table, listening to the discussions of the gentlemen beside him while savoring the enhancement he had gained after completing digestion.
Unlike ordinary Beyonders, Ning Lu's "digestion" was complete and thorough digestion, a reasonable attribution of the power belonging to the Old Ones to himself. Therefore, just like when he digested the first few sequences of "Error," those pieces of information he had absorbed and the Beyonder abilities he had deliberately removed gradually surfaced in Ning Lu's mind.
The greatest improvement from "Dancer" was cutting off the connection with the Ring of Fate, making that power completely become a Beyonder characteristic with no future troubles.
Fate and destiny had also produced some wonderful combinations, making his perception of destiny more vague and making it easier to find the most likely path in the chaotic river of fate.
Although the improvement was not very significant for now, regardless, in the current situation where he couldn't find "Dream," this was still a method of steadily improving strength.
Ning Lu took a sip of red wine, waiting for the official Beyonders' investigation to begin.
At this moment, the voice of a middle-aged man in military uniform came from afar, as if making some kind of announcement:
"Everyone. The matter has been resolved. We can now confirm that Qilingers has been killed."
The lady beside Ning Lu heard this voice and said excitedly to Ning Lu beside her: "Did you hear? Audrey, Qilingers is dead!"
This lady who valued propriety had no embarrassed emotions at all, because during the previous chaos, most of the guests at the party had panicked like her, and she suspected Qilingers was the same.
Of course you know, Qilingers was killed by people I sent. Ning Lu agreed with the lady's words, his tone revealing no flaws, laughing cheerfully:
"He was originally a brave but unwise Admiral of Blood - haha, his death was within our expectations. Being tempted by heavy rewards to assassinate Duke Negan was not a good plan."
"Yes." The lady thought about it and felt it was reasonable:
"It's just a pity for Countess Gramiel. Oh, after this incident, perhaps everyone will understand the importance of hiring security personnel and add a few security guards for themselves."
"Indeed, Countess Gramiel's financial situation doesn't seem very good, perhaps it's also because of this reason that she didn't hire security personnel."
"Perhaps everyone needs a trustworthy security company." Ning Lu smiled and added:
"Speaking of which, you should have also seen Qilingers' performance, right? I know a few people from mysterious organizations whose security work is handled by them."
"Oh, my dear Audrey." Hearing Ning Lu's words, the lady said somewhat sadly in a theatrical manner: "Are you going to take advantage of this opportunity to sell to me? That's not very much like a noble's behavior."
"How could that be?"
Ning Lu's eyes flashed slightly, hearing the teasing meaning in the lady's words:
"It's just concern between friends. Just, well, the people I know have very good faith. Of course, I understand that such things cannot be put in the open."
"It's just a pity that you worship the 'Evernight Goddess,' otherwise you should get along very well with these experts."
Heh. It's a pity that not everyone's brain is very good - there are always some people who hope to take advantage, and they easily believed Ning Lu's words, allowing Ning Lu to easily place Aurora Order members around them.
And this lady's faith was in the "Lord of Storms." Ning Lu had given corresponding hints in his previous words:
The best churches in Backlund were the Storm Church and Evernight Church, and since our faith is in the Evernight Goddess, this can only be the Lord of Storms!
Ning Lu didn't even need to use the "Thief's" Beyonder ability to directly read this lady's heart.
The lady showed a somewhat secretive smile: "Then I must thank you."
On the other side, after receiving news from her father, Audrey's heart was also completely at ease. Although she received her father's warning to "not go inquiring about this matter," Audrey, who had received Qilingers' bounty and her father's praise, was still quite happy.
However, the bounty had to be split with "Lover" sir!
Audrey thought silently in her heart, preparing to have some necessary communication with "Lover" sir after the ball, including the distribution of rewards and discussions, as well as how to give half the bounty to "Lover" without attracting others' attention.
While Audrey was thinking about what to do next, in a private large study in Duke Negan's mansion, several important figures of the kingdom had also gathered together.
This included Duke Negan's brother, Kingdom Prime Minister Agusid Negan, as well as the Storm Church's "God's Singer" Ace Sinek.
"We have confirmed through mystical means. Qilingers is indeed dead, but we don't know who did it."
Ace Sinek said directly: "From the traces at the time, a 'Traveler' took Qilingers away, but the subsequent trail is untraceable - whether it's this 'Traveler' or Qilingers, both have disappeared."
"We can basically confirm that behind the ambush of Qilingers there is a secret organization, an organization with high-sequence powerhouses. Besides this, it's also possible it's personal revenge - someone learned of Qilingers' movements and wanted to take revenge on him."
"We need to find out this secret organization's purpose as soon as possible, though what I just said is also very possible, after all, Qilingers has been at sea for years, who knows if he killed some important person's relatives or friends."
Agusid was quite solemn: "His Majesty will have the military and intelligence agencies cooperate. The Evernight Church and Steam Church will depend on you, Bishop Sinek."
"God's Singer" Ace Sinek immediately stood up:
"I will arrange it immediately."
Several days later in the evening.
Led by Fors and Xio, Audrey secretly slipped out of her house with white flowers and came to the Beyonder gathering organized by Mr. A.
Before this, she had only sent a letter to "Lover" sir, arranging to meet "Lover" sir at Mr. A's gathering - meeting in other places didn't fit both their identities, and if they were photographed by reporters, it would bring Audrey no small trouble.
In the Qilingers matter, it could be said that everyone was happy. Fors and Xio received generous rewards from Audrey, while Audrey and Alger also received Qilingers' bounty. Alger received news of his great enemy's death and no longer had to worry about being threatened by Qilingers.
If one had to say who was dissatisfied, it would probably be Qilingers who died too peacefully, and the Storm Church and Duke Negan who had been busy for half a day but found nothing.
After all, one was "no review, default good review," while the other was the victim of an assassination attempt. They really couldn't be satisfied.
After passing through that familiar wooden door, Audrey saw Mr. A sitting calmly on the sofa in an otherwise empty room.
Seeing the three people come to his side, Mr. A swept his gaze over their faces with scrutiny and spoke coldly:
"Mr. L is outside, you can go find him directly."
This sentence was directed at Audrey, while Fors and Xio were kept inside. Mr. A stared at Fors who seemed to be daydreaming, lowering his voice, and it took great effort to suppress his urge to preach.
After a while, Mr. A's attendant handed a piece of paper to Fors and Xio:
"Mr. A wants you to see if there's anything you need. If there is, just tell me directly."
Xio immediately became interested and glanced at the content: "Mr. A, I want the 'Sheriff' formula."
"No problem." Mr. A nodded steadily, "When you come to the next gathering, I'll help you complete this transaction."
Mr. A's attitude seems to have improved a lot... Could it be because of the matter between Miss Audrey and this "Mr. L"? We seem to have completed a transaction... Speaking of which, who exactly is Mr. L?
Fors muttered in her heart for a while, then saw Mr. A turn to look at her, speaking in a cold tone:
"What about you? Do you need anything?"Chapter 24: Ambition (Fourth Update)
Type: I am in the same time repeatedly模月
41482025年07月21日 09:02
"Huh?" Fors took quite a while to react:
"Me?"
"Uh, I don't have anything I need..."
Fors moved her gaze away from the list that Mr. A's servant had just handed her, thinking somewhat helplessly in her heart:
I do want the potion formula for the "Apprentice" pathway's subsequent sequences, but you don't have it on here...
I just received quite a bit of manuscript fees recently, so I'm still quite well-off financially!
Hearing Fors's words, Mr. A nodded silently and didn't say anything more.
In another small room, Audrey looked curiously at the "Lover" gentleman in front of her. At this moment, "Lover" was maintaining the appearance of Dionysus Fried, with several black cats lying on and around him.
"Hello?" Audrey tentatively spoke, not knowing whether she should say "Lover's" code name in the real world.
"Just call me Dionysus." Under the sunlight's illumination, Ning Lu calmly put down the book in his hands: "Miss Audrey, let's get straight to the point."
Hmm, about the Qilingers matter... Recently because of Qilingers, I haven't had many opportunities to sneak out! Audrey thought for a moment, then spoke to Ning Lu:
"Mr. Dionysus, regarding the Qilingers matter, I received approximately 30,000 pounds in bounty, plus a vacation manor that Duke Negan gifted to me. What do you think—how should we distribute this?"
Although there were two different rumors in Backlund's niche news about "Qilingers being killed by the Aurora Order" and "Qilingers being an Aurora Order assassin sent out," obviously neither the official Beyonders nor the government believed the Aurora Order, whose external credibility was negative, and no one came forward to claim the bounty.
Therefore, the 10,000 pounds bounty for Qilingers all belonged to Audrey.
The bounties set by other countries and organizations would also be claimed successively over the next few weeks. After deducting losses and converting, it would be approximately 20,000 pounds. Adding it all up, it was close to 30,000.
"The manor is a gift Duke Negan gave to you. I only need 15,000 pounds of the bounty." Ning Lu said softly to Audrey:
"I know it's difficult for you to transfer 15,000 pounds to me all at once—no matter how you operate it, it would attract attention. So I have a better plan that can offset the value of these 15,000 pounds."
"Lover" gentleman is still very considerate, completely lacking the madness of those Aurora Order members reported in the newspapers... Audrey sighed again in her heart and asked Ning Lu:
"What does 'Lover' gentleman plan to do?"
"Recently I have a... plan to raise funds for the company, preparing to venture into more industries." Ning Lu spoke gently to Audrey:
"You should know about the recent rumors in noble circles, that is, my desire to reclaim my family's former title...
"Of course, as a fellow Tarot Club member, you also know that although my identity is just my disguise, wanting to obtain a title is indeed something that requires considerable money. So, I would be quite happy to convert funds of unclear origin into company assets."
"Hmm... you mean you hope to get financial support from the Hall family?" Audrey thought for a moment, feeling this wasn't problematic:
"But if I were to explain this matter to my father, I would need sufficient, convincing reasons... even if it's just me investing in a personal capacity, there would still be professional personnel conducting audits and evaluations."
"Moreover, if my father Earl Hall thinks Fried Company has sufficient potential and chooses to invest to occupy a portion of shares, then I feel this would be more like a new transaction rather than the previously agreed compensation." Speaking of this, Audrey somewhat firmly clenched her fist, not choosing to back down:
"Most importantly, actually my father is already considering whether to invest in Fried Company; and for me, if it weren't for your reminder, I might not have discovered Baron Gramil's problems, so I cannot use this matter to deceive you."
Miss Audrey is still too honest... If it were Alger instead—well, now Alger would probably be bargaining with me. Ning Lu shook his head:
"This isn't a problem."
"Actually, I think you need to know one thing: for ordinary, newly established companies, 10,000 pounds might not be enough to buy the opportunity to get Earl Hall's investment. I think this is an equal transaction."
"Consideration is just consideration after all. Earl Hall might ultimately consider the risks and choose to wait and see for now."
"And moreover, claiming bounties isn't a simple matter for wild Beyonders. For Beyonders without sensitive identities, they generally can only claim bounties issued by one country, making it difficult to repeatedly claim them."
Hearing Ning Lu's words, Audrey was momentarily confused: "Is that so?"
"That's right, so the value you contributed in this operation is more than you imagine." Ning Lu said to Audrey in front of him with a gentle tone:
"If you really feel this transaction is unequal, you can privately pay me 5,000 pounds in batches as compensation—this can be paid at the Tarot Club, there's no rush."
Of course, Alger still owes him 10,000 pounds, which Ning Lu hasn't forgotten—though he also gave Alger the choice to offset with extraordinary materials and formulas the Aurora Order doesn't have.
There are quite a few Beyonders and extraordinary creatures at sea. About 20 Sequence 8 extraordinary characteristics should be enough to repay Alger's debt.
Audrey thought for a while, believing what Ning Lu said made sense and also met her standards of fairness in transactions, so she nodded and agreed to Ning Lu's conditions.
However, after reaching this deal, Audrey didn't rush to leave. Instead, after hesitating for a while, she asked Ning Lu:
"'Lover' gentleman, I hope to ask you about one more thing. I'm willing to pay additional compensation for this."
"Let's hear it." Ning Lu said to Audrey in a gentle tone.
Audrey steadied herself and still voiced the question that had troubled her for a long time:
"I want to know about what you mentioned at the Tarot Club before... about the disaster related to Backlund. About... about saying His Majesty the King is the mastermind behind it."
The atmosphere in the room seemed to become cold. In the brief silence, those black cats that had been lying beside Ning Lu seemed to sense the unusual atmosphere and fled toward the corners.
After a while, Audrey finally heard Ning Lu's voice:
"I don't think this is something you should know."
"Actually, the disaster related to Backlund won't affect the nobles in Queens District. This matter has nothing to do with you."
"After becoming a 'Mind Reader,' you should also be able to see that your father and family members have thoughts different from what appears on the surface. You know that in your father's eyes, the Hall family's honor is above everything... And if you prepare to interfere with this disaster, then you'll stand on the opposite side of the King."
"In my view, if you knew the truth about this disaster, there's a high probability you would try to stop it, which isn't a good thing."
Audrey pressed her lips together but still persisted with her inquiry:
"Actually, when I learned about this a few weeks ago, I had some difficulty accepting it and was somewhat afraid to try understanding the truth. But after becoming a 'Mind Reader,' I have new perspectives."
"Even if I can't stop this disaster, I still hope to understand the King's and great nobles' thoughts. Only this way can I grow, rather than blindly pursuing mystery and seeking excitement like before...
"I... although I'm somewhat worried and afraid, I cannot go against the morality and conscience in my heart."
If during Qilingers' assassination of Duke Negan, I hadn't joined the Tarot Club, hadn't become a Beyonder, hadn't received "Lover" gentleman's hints, would those people I'm familiar with have had to pay with their lives under Qilingers' hands?
Even if I can't stop everything happening in Backlund, at least I can know who the mastermind is and why the King wants to trigger Backlund's disaster!
Ning Lu observed Audrey for a moment, then slowly spoke:
"You don't need to pay me additional compensation for this question, but you need to promise Mr. Fool that you won't tell anyone else about this matter."
"After that Tarot Club meeting, I asked for Mr. Fool's opinion. Mr. Fool is very willing to serve as a witness to this matter."
Audrey nodded: "No problem."
Ning Lu cleared his throat:
"According to our current investigation, there's abnormal population disappearance in Backlund, and this loophole is getting bigger, with the possibility of being discovered by the Church at any time."
"Therefore, the King reached a deal with the Witch Sect and Aurora Order, hoping the Witch Sect and Aurora Order would trigger a disaster, using mass deaths to cover up the missing population."
"The currently confirmed location is Backlund's East District."
After hearing Ning Lu's words, Audrey momentarily forgot the composure she needed to maintain and opened her mouth slightly:
"Why do this?"
"Aren't the people of East District also the King's subjects?"
"Sometimes, human lives are just a string of numbers, and for Backlund, the poor people of East District are the most worthless things." Ning Lu closed the book he had been holding, saying meaningfully:
"Time is about up. Let's stop here for today. Think carefully about what you should do, after all... the King's will is almost equivalent to 'Ruen's' will."
"In the face of the torrent of times, ordinary people's greatest ambition is just wanting to live well."
"Mr. Azik, long time no see."
On Backlund's streets lit by dim lights, in a roadside café, Klein, wearing a windbreaker, took off his hat while speaking to Mr. Azik sitting across from him:
"I'm really sorry. It's been almost two months since I came to Backlund, and I'm only now able to make time to meet with you."
As a "Red Glove" of the Church of Night, Klein naturally also received the internal files about Qilingers being killed.
During these two weeks, the Red Glove team at the detective agency, under Klein's suggestions and Leonard's reasoning, began investigating several missing person cases in East District and made some progress.
However, due to the complex network of connections in Backlund, even with their official status, the investigation progress wasn't too fast. They had only solved several kidnapping cases and found some information about the Witch Sect, but hadn't found traces of Ince Zangwill.
Azik gently picked up his coffee cup and blew on it, smiling at Klein:
"It's fine, Klein. During this time, when I saw the news, I also recalled some things."
Klein immediately raised his eyebrows: "You remembered your past?"
"Yes, though only a little, not everything." Azik took a sip of coffee:
"Two weeks ago, after the widely reported killing of Qilingers, I saw a report where the Aurora Order claimed responsibility for the Qilingers incident."
Speaking of this, Azik's lips curved slightly upward:
"Hehe, although all the reports said the Aurora Order hired Qilingers to assassinate Duke Negan, I inexplicably felt they weren't lying. It seems from long ago, when I cooperated with them, they weren't good at lying."
Klein asked curiously: "Can you tell me about what you remembered?"
Azik slowly nodded: "This isn't something that needs to be hidden. In my first life, I seemed to be a priest. At that time, I once cooperated with the Aurora Order... At that time, they didn't seem to be the evil god cult everyone recognizes now."
So the internal Aurora Order materials that Ning Lu interpreted were really all true records? Klein was somewhat surprised:
"I see..."
"However, this doesn't seem to help with finding the mastermind who killed my child. This can't help you." Azik shook his head:
"Klein, your letters during this time gave me a lot of inspiration and memories. If you have any needs, I'll also try my best to provide help."
Klein thought for a moment: "Mr. Azik, regarding the mastermind matter, we stand on the same side, so there's nothing I need... Oh right, I have a friend who's looking for an extraordinary material called 'Dream Eating Rat.' Do you know any relevant information?"
"Dream Eating Rat..." Azik frowned slightly:
"Speaking of this, I seem to have some impression just now, but Dream Eating Rats seem to be nearly extinct... Perhaps they still exist in the subconscious sea and spirit world."
"...However, I'll help you keep an eye out."
Azik savored the Balam-flavored coffee in his cup, somewhat puzzled: "By the way, Klein, since you joined the Church of Night, why were you only able to make time to meet with me so late today?"
"I'm now disguised as a detective, and coincidentally, someone came to the door with a commission today." Klein sighed helplessly:
"It's a big boy named Ian, asking me to find someone's whereabouts... I still have to go check it out with colleagues later. I haven't gotten off work yet, Mr. Azik."
Chapter 25: Strange Mission (Fifth Update, Please Subscribe!)
Secret: I am in two timelines repeatedly 11:36 only using 41302025年07月21日
"Klein, I really suggest you work part-time at a circus."
Leonard said sincerely and innocently:
"Look, your family, your brother and sister aren't in Backlund anyway. Working part-time as a clown would not only help you act as a 'Clown' and digest the potion, but also let you send more money back home... Most importantly, no one would recognize you!"
Walking in the sewer, Klein tiptoed, looking at Leonard who was obviously being mischievous, said both angrily and amusedly:
"Is it possible that in these two months, my 'Clown' potion has been digested almost completely?"
Among a group of Sequence 6 and Sequence 7, I'm most like a 'Clown'!
Moreover, when I was dragged to find cats, I deeply felt fate's mockery... Klein grumbled in his heart:
A 'Clown' is supposed to smile while facing fate's mockery!
"You've mastered the 'Acting Method' so well?"
Leonard deliberately showed a shocked expression, walking forward with Klein, his face showing a smile again:
"Haha, actually I was afraid you'd feel nauseous seeing the next scene and couldn't help but vomit here, so I was joking with you."
Come on! Klein muttered and walked with Leonard to the front of the corpse in the sewer.
This corpse was what today's client "Ian Wright" wanted to find—"Detective Zerel."
After accepting the mission, he and Leonard performed spirit channeling and divination on the person disguised as Zerel, finally confirming that Detective Zerel was already dead, and came to the sewer to find his corpse.
After examining Detective Zerel's corpse, the two looked at each other and made the same decision in unison:
"Let Ian report to the police."
The next morning, Ning Lu opened his eyes that had just been closed while napping in the carriage, slowly stepped down from the carriage, and rang the doorbell of the detective agency.
Ding dong, ding dong. However, this time it wasn't Leonard who opened the door, but Daly Simone.
"Ah, good morning, Mr. Fried."
Seeing Ning Lu's arrival, Daly's lips curved slightly upward: "Looking for little Klein? Hehe, he went out with Leonard. You mustn't mind."
"Hehe, I'm not a Ruen person."
Ning Lu looked at Daly, whose tone carried implications, and made a Ruen joke—though in this country, sometimes this wasn't a joke:
"However, I really am here to find him. I'm prepared to tell him some things. What did he go do?"
Daly led Ning Lu into the agency while giving Dunn Smith a look. After getting Dunn's response, Daly said in her usual slow tone:
"Yesterday little Klein finally received a proper mission, not finding cats, not catching adultery..."
Dunn coughed, indicating that family scandals shouldn't be aired in public.
"...Well, I got a bit off topic." Daly chuckled lightly, obviously doing it on purpose:
"Someone commissioned us to find a person's whereabouts. Hmm, it looks like searching for their companion or superior."
Hearing these keywords, many "celebrity" names flashed through Ning Lu's mind. After a long while, he tentatively said:
"Ian Wright's commission?"
"You know him?" This time it was Daly's turn to be surprised:
"Does he have some secret worth the Aurora Order's attention?"
Although I've reached a certain agreement with the Church of Night, aren't you being a bit too obvious?
Hearing Daly openly mention "Aurora Order," Ning Lu looked at Daly somewhat strangely, then lightly pressed his top hat:
"No, it has nothing to do with the Aurora Order. I just personally noticed the intelligence about him submitted by believers—red eyes are a characteristic of 'Vampires.' I originally thought he was a mid-sequence Beyonder, but now it seems that's not the case."
Ning Lu's lips curved slightly upward: "He should just be someone with vampire bloodline."
Of course, this reason was just something Ning Lu made up on the spot.
Speaking of Ian, everyone might not remember, but he was the culprit behind Mr. Error's famous battle.
First, Ian gave Klein a commission worth [5 pounds]. After that, "Hunter" Meursault attacked Klein but was counter-killed, ultimately involving the Intis ambassador, forcing Klein to find Mr. A to assassinate the ambassador, even paying 10,000 pounds in compensation.
Finally, when Mr. Error was preparing to force-kill Klein despite the secret puppet's death, he fought with two pillars to the edge of the universe, shattering even the Great Dao, but was backstabbed by the [Fallen Creator] and died with regret. Truly lamentable.
"Your expression seems a bit strange..."
Daly poured two cups of water from a nearby teapot, placing one beside Dunn and handing the other to Ning Lu:
"However, you might have to wait a while before Klein returns. They went to take the client to see that corpse today. The spirit of the corpse was handled very cleanly, and the two of them couldn't get any useful information."
"That's really a pity, but you can't eat hot tofu in a hurry. I'm not in a rush either." Ning Lu said with some regret:
"While Klein hasn't returned, we can talk about matters related to Ince Zangwill. What do you think?"
"Of course." Daly sat down, her tone seeming somewhat uncertain:
"However, what you just said seems to be... Emperor Roselle's famous quote? Only Emperor Roselle's quotes would have such strange word order."
Ning Lu: "..."
One day I'll make a "Collection of Emperor Roselle's Witty Sayings" and spread it around.
Taking a sip of black tea, he swept his gaze over Dunn, who was sitting behind a pile of documents, and glanced at the ring finger of Daly's left hand:
"Are you two...?"
"Noticed?" Daly's lips curved into a smile: "We still need to thank you for this—if you hadn't saved Dunn back then, I wouldn't have had the opportunity to take care of him alone, wouldn't have had..."
Speaking of this, Daly chuckled softly again, seeming quite happy.
Hearing Daly's words, Dunn seemed choked by his tea and coughed again.
However, Daly didn't intend to continue on this topic and quietly shifted the conversation in another direction:
"Speaking of which, although we have no relation, aren't you afraid that Ince Zangwill will know about your preparations, Mr. Fried?"
"I don't mind."
Ning Lu said frankly: "Moreover, '0-08' might not be able to peer into my preparations. Its ability might still be lacking—especially with such a master."
In Tingen City, Ning Lu had pretended to be the Celestial Worthy to intimidate Ince Zangwill, nearly scaring him into losing control on the spot.
If under such circumstances Ince Zangwill still dared to arrange or use "0-08" to spy on him again, then Ning Lu would have to think Adam was making his move.
So Mr. L indeed has the blessing of a high-level being... Daly thought of what Dunn had shown her before, and after casually chatting with Ning Lu for a few sentences, brought the topic back on track:
"Does the Aurora Order have more understanding of Ince Zangwill's movements?"
Compared to the serious Dunn, Daly's words were more approachable and easier to make people drop their guard. This was a plan Daly and Dunn had made beforehand. Although it didn't have much effect on Ning Lu, having a little effect was still good.
"Unfortunately, no. The Witch Sect is currently only maintaining stable daily cooperation and communication with the Aurora Order, and hasn't exposed matters regarding Ince Zangwill." Ning Lu's tone changed:
"However, perhaps I'll make progress afterward—you haven't collected evidence of the royal family, military, and Witch Sect cooperating or related to kidnapping cases until now, right?"
"Yes."
Daly sighed:
"Sometimes, wanting to go deeper always encounters considerable resistance. If we didn't have the Church's status and considerable extraordinary abilities, I even suspect we might really be 'taken down' by those 'resistances.'"
"Sigh, after all, we're official members, not wild Beyonders. Official searches require evidence, and we can't arrest people just because our speculation is completely correct. And those experts happen to be good at handling evidence, not to mention there are people deliberately creating coincidences to quietly guide us."
Speaking of this, Daly's face showed a mysterious smile again:
"But having resistance and coincidences often proves we're approaching the truth. Ince Zangwill is now like a cornered beast. The more he hides his tracks, the more desperate he becomes, just preparing to fight with all his might."
"In approximately half a month, I will go to the royal palace to accept the baronial title—you might have seen such reports in the newspapers." After hearing Daly finish, Ning Lu nodded slightly:
"By that time, I might be able to make deeper discoveries, or perhaps accept some commissions related to 'cooperation.'"
"Then congratulations in advance, 'Baron Fried.'" Daly smiled meaningfully:
"Dunn told me before that if we encounter any difficulties in the investigation, we can contact us at any time. Do you need me to tell you the incantation for summoning my messenger?"
"Messenger summoning incantations are easy to decipher. I think I probably don't need it."
Ning Lu put down his teacup, suddenly feeling a wonderful sensation in his heart, like fate's guidance, and looked toward the door:
The sound of the door being pushed open followed. Klein, disguised as the bearded detective "Sherlock Moriarty," and Leonard, who had changed into a long windbreaker, both walked in. When Klein saw Ning Lu, he was obviously stunned:
"Mr. Fried?"
"Don't pretend you don't know me... Anyway, close the door first." Ning Lu withdrew his gaze:
"Ms. Daly has already told me about the commission you accepted. Hehe, although during the wait, I've already told Ms. Daly most of what I originally planned to tell you, I still think I need to tell you separately."
Speaking of this, Ning Lu winked at Klein: "Go for a walk?"
I'm still on work time! Moreover, doesn't everyone know you're an Aurora Order divine messenger? How do you have no self-awareness? Klein grumbled in his heart.
Just then, Dunn's voice came from behind the desk:
"Go ahead. Remember to bring lunch for me—well, us—at noon."
Dunn looked at Klein, whose eyes seemed to contain other meanings, paused, and said somewhat helplessly:
"I'll reimburse you when you return."
Klein immediately showed a smile:
"Alright, Captain."
After leaving the agency and listening to Ning Lu repeat the information he had told Daly earlier, Klein naturally turned their conversation to other topics:
"Yesterday before undertaking the commission, I asked Mr. Azik. Mr. Azik said there might be traces of 'Dream Eating Rats' in the 'subconscious sea' and 'spirit world,' and said he would help me search."
Really have news? Is this a type of convergence or did the "Fate Beacon" work? Ning Lu's gaze solidified slightly:
"I have a way to go to the spirit world. Can you divine the specific location?"
"I haven't tried yet, but I guess I definitely can't do it here." Klein just thought briefly before giving his answer:
"Are you free tomorrow? I'll pull you up to the gray fog then and help you divine."
[He's quite nice indeed!]
The Celestial Worthy walked beside Ning Lu and casually complained.
Celestial Worthy, you seem to have a bit of a performative streak... Ning Lu glanced at the Celestial Worthy beside him, then turned to Klein:
"Good. What time?"
"Tomorrow at noon." Klein thought for a moment, calculating his time:
"Tomorrow morning I probably need to help the captain handle some things. I'll pull you up to the gray fog during lunch break."
Deep night.
Dunn's room still had lights on. Dunn Smith held a piece of paper, staring at the text under the lamplight.
"Still thinking about the mission the Church assigned?"
Daly's voice suddenly came. Dunn looked toward his bed—Daly was leaning against the bed, asking Dunn in a lazy tone.
"Yes." Dunn sighed:
"After becoming Red Gloves, everything seems to have changed. I find it increasingly difficult to understand the Archbishop's and Deacon's thoughts."
"Then should I be the team captain?" Daly said to Dunn in a teasing tone:
"I can roughly guess why the Church gave us this mission... Compared to so many innocent lives in Backlund, faith seems secondary. What's important is whether we can maintain a stable state, whether the Church can profit from it."
"Your vision is always more far-sighted than mine." Dunn said somewhat helplessly and self-mockingly, his gaze focusing on the paper in front of him again.
[To Dunn Smith and other "Red Gloves" team members:]
[After confirmation, Aurora Order Divine Messenger L is our ally. Deep cooperation with Mr. L is permitted regarding Ince Zangwill, and Mr. L is to be treated as a "detective agency" member in principle.]
[Confidentiality level: Only the Pope and "Red Gloves" members Dunn Smith and Daly Simone are permitted to know.]
[Signatory: Saint Dabo Machi.]
Signatory—the current Pope of the Church of Night.
A strange mission.Chapter 26: Meursault
Secret: I am repeatedly jumping between two timelinesJuly 22, 2025 10:43
Rough knocking sounds echoed at the door of the detective agency. Klein, who was assisting Dunn with recent affairs this morning, looked up and said to Dunn:
"Should I go down and take a look? Maybe it's a new client."
Dunn nodded, indicating that Klein should go down directly.
They don't even know to ring the doorbell, how rude... The knocking was deafeningly loud. Klein muttered a complaint and quickly walked down from the second floor, reaching out to pull open the door.
However, when Klein saw the visitor, he couldn't help but raise his eyebrows:
Appearing before him was a man with dark skin and sunken eye sockets from the highlands. He wore a black coat and a silk top hat, but compared to a gentleman's bearing, he looked more like a wild beast.
Klein didn't hide the doubt in his tone:
"Excuse me, who are you looking for? Do you have something you want to commission us with?"
The visitor likewise didn't disguise his expression. He simply swept Klein with a cold gaze and asked in return:
"Are you Sherlock Moriarty? Is this your agency?"
He knows my name? This doesn't bode well... Klein muttered in his heart: "That's correct. May I ask how to address you? Is there something you need to commission?"
He nodded somewhat stiffly:
"I want to commission you to help me find someone."
"Please come in to discuss the specific commission. My colleagues are all inside, this might be helpful for the commission you want to discuss." Klein raised his hand to indicate that this strange client should come in with him.
However, the visitor's voice remained quite cold: "No need. The person I'm looking for is called Ian, Ian Wright... I think you should know him."
He briefly described Ian's appearance, then dropped that loaded statement.
Klein thought for a moment and shook his head:
"I'm very sorry, I cannot accept your commission."
Looking at the client whose gaze seemed unfriendly, Klein added:
"Since you were able to find this place, you should know that Ian was my previous client. For privacy reasons, I cannot reveal information about my previous client."
"Moreover, after completing his commission yesterday, he left directly. I'm not clear about his subsequent whereabouts."
"10 pounds. I only need the information you provide." The client seemed not to have heard Klein's refusal and simply quoted a price.
"This isn't something I alone can decide. I'm just working here. Casually revealing client information would make me lose this job. You know, private detective work isn't easy to find." Do I lack your 10 pounds... Klein said with a smile on his face:
"If you need a commission, perhaps you can go discuss it with my colleagues, the owner of the agency."
The client in front of him looked toward the somewhat dim hall behind Klein, didn't continue haggling but directly turned to leave. However, when leaving, his gaze was quite cold.
What a strange fellow. What's the use of looking for me? If you want to find someone, you should look for Captain Dunn! Then, well, he could have you arrested and sent to the church...
However, it looks like this person should be a gang member from around here. No wonder he gave up so decisively... Klein watched the client leave, closed the door properly, and returned to the second-floor room.
"Was it a client?" Dunn heard the sound of the door opening and asked Klein casually without looking up.
"No, someone who wanted to inquire about Ian's whereabouts from me, but I refused him. Hehe, Ian should thank my personal morals and professional ethics." Klein pulled out a chair and sat across from Dunn, smiling as he said:
"Looked like some gang member. He's already chosen to give up, probably planning to use other means to investigate."
"Gang member... Then there's indeed no need to tell them." Dunn let out a light breath: "If he comes to cause trouble again, just send him to the church."
Klein replied with a full smile: "No problem!"
Consider it a good deed for the day... Klein was in a good mood as he lowered his head and continued searching through a pile of collected evidence for intelligence related to Ince Zangwill.
After lunch, Klein put the recorded intelligence aside and casually folded it up and stuffed it in his pocket when leaving.
Since he was planning to go above the gray fog to help Ning Lu with divination, he also planned to divine the accuracy of the content on those papers.
Like Leonard, Klein wasn't too worried about his special abilities being exposed now.
After all, he had already passed the church's review and received the church's tacit approval. Leonard, who also possessed special abilities, was now fully utilizing his talents, striving to catch Ince Zangwill as soon as possible.
The papers Klein brought to the gray fog recorded several general areas where the "Witch Sect" might appear, extracted from investigation reports from the East Borough.
Considering that high-sequence witches possessed anti-divination abilities, among the entire team, apart from Leonard whose abilities were unknown, perhaps only he could have investigative capabilities.
Taking four steps counterclockwise, Klein came above the gray fog and divined each of these investigation reports one by one, but the results disappointed him somewhat:
Except for one that showed a blurry female figure suspected to be a "witch" after "dream divination," all other investigation reports only presented some blurry scenes of kidnapped women and children.
Where exactly is the "Witch Sect" hiding... Surely they can't be outside the East Borough? However, this could also be considered striking at Backlund's criminal situation - so many people have been kidnapped by gangs!
Looking at the information from the dream divination, Klein was quite unhappy and planned to report to Captain Dunn in the afternoon to quickly rescue those kidnapped girls.
Seeing that the time was about right, Klein also raised his right hand to touch the deep red star representing Ning Lu. Ning Lu's figure slowly materialized in the red star and appeared in the seat beside Klein above the gray fog.
Ning Lu, who had been watching Klein for a long time from where the "cocoon" hung at the Source Castle, acted as if he knew nothing and said calmly: "Good afternoon, have you eaten?"
"I've eaten." Klein exhaled: "Shall we start the divination now?"
Ning Lu nodded, having no intention of being polite with Klein:
"Good."
The things he had previously said he would give to "The Sun" had already been delivered to Derrick through the "bestowal" ritual a few days ago. Now he was just waiting for Amon to take the bait. This time coming to the "Source Castle," Ning Lu didn't have anything particularly special to say - his body was currently sunbathing on the villa's balcony.
Klein materialized a piece of paper in front of him, and information and clues related to the "Dream Eater" immediately surfaced on the paper following Klein's thoughts.
Having done all this, Klein closed his eyes, casually placed his hands on the armrests of the throne, and slowly leaned back:
"Clues to the 'Dream Eater', clues to the 'Dream Eater'..."
He planned to use "dream divination" to obtain clues about the "Dream Eater"!
After a while, Klein reopened his eyes, his tone carrying some doubt about the divination results:
"I dreamed of a stretch of darkness, but the divination didn't seem to fail, because I heard sounds like rodent activity in that darkness."
"However, if I were to interpret it, I would lean toward the 'Dream Eater' existing in some place shrouded in thick darkness, but there don't seem to be few such places in the spirit world - this might be a lengthy process."
Ning Lu stroked his chin, and his ability as a "Savant" activated. Pieces of information arranged themselves before his eyes:
"In the darkness you saw, was it more inclined toward 'death' darkness or darkness more inclined toward the concept of 'tranquility'?"
"Tranquil, deep, but seemingly quite dangerous." As a professional diviner, Klein immediately gave an accurate description.
Ning Lu pondered for a while:
"From your description, I can come up with two guesses."
"The first guess is related to the True Creator. In the God-Forsaken Land with a large number of corrupted extraordinary creatures, there might exist 'Dream Eaters' that haven't yet gone extinct, or things that could substitute for 'Dream Eaters'..."
As soon as he said this, Ning Lu's mouth showed some helpless smile:
"But Amon is in the God-Forsaken Land. It's hard to say whether there are any 'Dream Eaters' that haven't gone extinct. I even suspect that this direction of interpretation points to Amon himself."
This is a unique painless method for advancing to "King of Angels" specific to the "Error" pathway. Do other pathways have such shortcuts?
"What about the other guess?" Klein picked up on Ning Lu's words and made a thoughtful expression:
"If it's not related to the 'God-Forsaken Land,' then the darkness represents concepts related to the 'Goddess of Night,' because this is the Goddess of Night's authority - this couldn't be indicating that 'Dream Eaters' exist within the church, could it?"
Ning Lu gently stroked his chin: "This possibility cannot be ruled out."
"Compared to other choices, I actually think this one has a relatively high chance of success... What do you think the probability is of me trading the Night Church's sealed artifacts for a 'Dream Eater'? That puppet is still with me."
The puppet from the Antigonus family that Ning Lu had casually taken earlier was still placed where the "cocoon" was stored at the Source Castle, and had now become the Celestial Worthy's toy.
Trading the church's sealed artifacts for the church's materials? Klein's mouth twitched:
"I... it's hard to say, but speaking of which, doesn't the captain have a somewhat complex attitude toward you? I always have the feeling that the captain is very concerned about your identity as an Aurora Order divine envoy but also wants to cooperate with you."
"Perhaps the church hopes to cooperate with me." Ning Lu stated his guess:
"The True Creator's awakening should be something the 'Goddess of Night' can see, and if the Church of Night wants to cooperate with the Aurora Order, Dunn Smith, who has been saved by me several times, is obviously the most suitable option."
"I even suspect that your Red Glove team's special formation was specifically established for this reason. Of course, I think capturing Ince Zangwill is also one of the reasons."
"Such a statement reminds me of those special positions set up by the company I once worked for..." Klein sighed: "Cooperation between deities?"
"Don't forget that you are one too."
Ning Lu suddenly said out of the blue: "Mr. 'Fool,' please don't forget your own identity - what do you think would happen if news of 'The Fool' spread to the outside world? Would the Church of Night think that the guy playing 'The Fool' is just a Sequence 8 'Clown'?"
Having said this, Ning Lu slowly exhaled:
"It seems I must visit you again tonight. I need to properly ask your captain about church matters. I suspect that the sudden change in attitude from him and Ms. Daly yesterday comes from church instructions. I can see there are certain traces of performance in it."
I still have to host a banquet tonight... I'm not a "Sleepless"! Ning Lu felt somewhat helpless thinking about this.
He felt that after transmigrating, he was much busier than before transmigrating.
Late at night, Ning Lu simply sealed the "Laughing" mask with the Source Castle and gave it to Mr. A, having Mr. A temporarily replace his identity.
He himself put on a black long robe, combed Amon's clone's signature hairstyle into a slicked-back style, and then quietly came to the detective agency.
Gently knocking twice on the door, Klein, who had been waiting for a long time, opened the door and indicated for Ning Lu to go upstairs with him.
In the afternoon, Klein had already told Dunn about several matters he needed to report and about Ning Lu's planned visit.
Therefore, Dunn Smith, as a "Corpse Collector," had also prepared for the meeting with Ning Lu. He didn't choose to rest but waited for Ning Lu's arrival.
In the second-floor room, Dunn Smith sat behind his desk. After seeing Ning Lu take a seat on the sofa, Dunn raised his hand to extinguish the desk lamp, and the room immediately fell into dimness.
Darkness was the protective color of the Nighthawks, and also proof of placing oneself under the goddess's gaze.
Dunn cleared his throat: "Mr. L, I heard from Klein about what you need. This afternoon I reported this matter to the Holy Cathedral via telegram, and the Holy Cathedral gave a reply..."
Just then, a slight clicking sound suddenly came from the window behind Dunn that was emitting weak light. Dunn, Klein, and Ning Lu all noticed this slight sound and looked toward the window in unison.
A figure nearly melted into the darkness, seeming to have just agilely opened the window and seeing the three people in the room, his brain somewhat froze for a moment.
The three people's gazes slowly moved downward. Dunn, who possessed "Dark Vision," and Ning Lu, who had "Keen Observation," simultaneously noticed the blowpipe at this figure's waist and realized what this person who had been discovered by several people's spiritual intuition before even getting close was here to do.
Out of caution, Sequence 6 level "Pacify Soul" and "Mental Interference" simultaneously fell upon this figure.