For Leonard, it was just another ordinary day. The only surprise was a new colleague's lightning-fast promotion to Beyonder, which raised an eyebrow but little else.
At least, that's what he thought until he got home.
"Someone's here."
The warning came from Pales, who was usually tight-lipped, just as Leonard turned his key in the lock. Before he could step inside, the sudden alert snapped him out of his lazy haze, his senses sharpening.
His eyes darted into the room, landing on a figure seated on the living room sofa—a young man in his early twenties with striking features. The stranger noticed the door and glanced up, his emerald eyes glinting with a faint smile.
Who is this?
Leonard's wariness spiked, mingled with confusion. He was certain he'd never seen this man before. Where had he come from?
"Who are you?" Leonard demanded, his tone sharp. "Breaking into someone's home without permission isn't exactly polite."
"My apologies for the unannounced visit," the young man said, his smile tinged with regret. "I had my reasons." He paused, locking eyes with Leonard's guarded stare, and added, "After all, Mr. Leonard, you wouldn't want me showing up at Blackthorn Security Company, airing details about that old man inside you in front of everyone, would you?"
Leonard's pupils contracted. Pales's existence was his deepest secret. Though he remained cautious of the old man himself, he'd never breathed a word of it to anyone. To have a stranger casually expose it sent a jolt of shock through him.
If Leonard were a small animal, his fur would've been standing on end.
The young man offered a faint, knowing smile. "So, can we talk now, Mr. Leonard?"
"You…" Leonard's brow furrowed, hesitation warring within him. Just then, Pales's voice whispered in his ear.
"You can talk to him."
"Old man, you know him? What's going on?" Leonard pressed, but no reply came.
Disappointed but resolute, Leonard gave the stranger a hard look, stepped inside, and sat on the sofa opposite him.
"No need to be so tense. It's your house," the young man said, chuckling at Leonard's rigid posture.
"Thanks for the reminder," Leonard muttered through gritted teeth. Lowering his voice, he hissed, "Old man, don't play dead. What's this about?"
"I'm not sure," Pales finally replied, his tone uncertain. "His aura feels familiar… like one of my descendants."
Before Pales could finish, the young man leisurely pulled a monocle from his pocket and, with deliberate slowness, placed it over his left eye.
Pales: …
Sorry, my mistake.
The familiar bloodline aura had piqued Pales's curiosity, enough to make Him stay and probe the stranger's intentions. But now, His spiritual form froze. If Pales had a visible psyche, it'd be a screaming marmot.
Yet Pales reacted swiftly. After a brief mental short-circuit, He noticed something—the monocle was on the wrong eye.
Amon wore his monocle on the right. This youth had it on the left.
More crucially, if Amon had truly found Him, this area would already be sealed, danger closing in. But Pales sensed no threat.
In a split second, Pales realized: This kid's messing with me.
Pales: …
His fists itched to discipline this brat.
"Old man, what's wrong? Why'd you go quiet again?" Leonard, sensing something off, pressed urgently.
"Shut up, I'm fine," Pales snapped. Then, with some unseen maneuver, a blurry shadow coalesced beside Leonard. The shadow spoke. "I assume you didn't come just to scare me?"
Leonard's eyes widened. He'd never seen Pales manifest like this.
The young man grinned at the shadowy Pales, his tone infuriatingly cheeky. "If I said I did, would you hit me?"
Why the stunt? Simple. Partly, Luo Lin couldn't resist his Jester instincts—what self-respecting Lord of the Mysteries transmigrator wouldn't mess with Pales? Partly, it was to digest his Jester potion.
And it worked. Scaring Pales digested about a third of the potion. If it were a Sequence 9 potion, it might've melted away entirely.
Not fully digested, huh? Not enough mischief, or is Pales just in rough shape? Luo Lin mused, his face still wearing a sunny grin.
"Hmph," Pales snorted, retorting, "What do you think?"
"I think you would," Luo Lin said, sensing Pales might actually mean it. He swiftly dropped the act, pulling out an ornate iron box with lightning speed.
Sliding it toward Pales, he said, "Ancestor Pales, I'm here to reconnect with family and bring a gift. This is my token of greeting."
"Family?" Before Pales could respond, Leonard blurted out, surprised. He glanced between Luo Lin and the shadowy Pales, realization dawning. "Right, you said he's your descendant…"
"You're really my descendant?" Pales asked, sensing the Zoroast family bloodline in Luo Lin. That only deepened His suspicion. The Zoroast family was nearly extinct, its bloodline all but withered. How had this guy appeared?
"My name is Luo Lin Zoroast," Luo Lin said openly. "By blood, I'm indeed of the Zoroast family, your descendant, Ancestor Pales." He glanced at the shadowy Pales, gesturing to the box. "Won't you take a look at my gift, Ancestor?"
(End of Chapter)