Collection: 1+
Record: Your adventure biography has been collected and followed more than once. You have met the conditions and the usage restrictions for the 'Message Board' have been lifted.
Lex's gaze naturally slid down, and he saw a box appear below, containing the information 'Message Board: 1'.
Message Board? I can leave messages on it? For whom?
Lex's mind didn't turn around for a moment, and then he found that there was other information on the paper.
Right below the message board.
'Faceless Man: Is this a Lord of the Mysteries fanfiction? Definitely collecting it~'
'Mountains and seas: Go on an adventure, young man, it's not enough to read.'
Buzz!
Lex felt as if he had been struck by lightning, almost jumping up.
Could this be...
Could these be reader comments?
In the eyes of those commenters, am I a character in some novel?
Immediately, Lex's head became a mess.
He had read many web novels in his previous life, but he had never seen a protagonist in any novel experience a similar situation.
Only Deadpool in a certain comic knew he was a character in a comic. He never expected that today, he himself would become a character in some novel, and even be able to see reader comments!
Wait.
Lex quickly looked up, his gaze falling on that 'Message Board'.
Could this thing allow me to communicate with 'readers'?
Communicate what... information?
Yes, I can communicate important information!
Lex slapped his head.
I only read less than fifty chapters of 'Lord of the Mysteries', so I don't know what happens later or the mysteries within the book.
But the 'readers' know, and I can see their comments.
In that case, I can obtain important information from them through the message board!
Hmm, the premise is that they are willing to leave comments, they should be, right?
Never mind, I'll try it first.
Lex picked up the quill and wrote on the message board: Dear readers...
Inappropriate.
Lex shook his head, crossing out the few words he had written. A magical thing happened: the crossed-out text actually disappeared.
There's even this kind of operation?
He composed himself and continued to ponder.
I am merely a character in a novel. Undoubtedly, the positions of those readers are far above mine. In some popular novels, readers' preferences even determine the plot's development.
To request their help, my attitude must be more sincere, and my address must be grander.
After some deliberation, Lex continued to write on the message board.
'Great, omniscient Observers from beyond dimensions. I request your assistance, I need your advice. I want to know which Beyonder path is more suitable for me. I hope you can respond. Thank you immensely.'
After he finished writing, Lex noticed that the number on the message board had changed from 1 to 0.
It turned out that the number represented the number of times the message board could be used.
After reviewing it several times and feeling that there were no issues, Lex put down the quill and closed the thick yet illusory tome.
It began to fade in color, its form becoming faint, dissipating like a wisp of smoke.
Subsequently, the colors of various objects in the room returned to normal, the curtains blown by the wind fell down, and the dust suspended in mid-air scattered.
Everything returned to its original state.
Except that Lex felt dizzy, as if he had been reading all morning and had consumed a lot of energy.
At this moment, his forehead even tingled slightly, as if someone had pricked it a few times with a needle.
He quickly walked to a bronze mirror, pushed aside the stray hairs on his forehead, and saw a hexagram disappearing on his forehead.
Is the ritual fixed? From now on, I don't need to draw a hexagram, I can just recite the prayer to summon that mysterious tome?
Lex put down his hair, took out his dagger, and destroyed the magic circle on the floor, lest anyone notice anything.
After covering it with the carpet, he sat back down on the sofa.
Next, I need to consider the issue of self-preservation, because due to the infighting, the Alfalfa has deviated from its original course, and it will take some time to reach Enmat Port.
In other words, the coming days will be spent on the Sea.
If there were no Beyonder factors, the problem would not be big. But recalling the infighting among the crew and his companion's abnormal excitement last night, Lex vaguely felt that an Beyonder was involved in this Sea bloodshed.
In this way, it's hard to guarantee that no accidents will occur during the rest of the voyage.
"Investigating an Beyonder as an ordinary person is courting death, so this option is not considered. What I need to consider is how to ensure I can safely disembark."
"My bodyguard is dead, and my personal valet is also dead. I lack a Guardian by my side. If infighting occurs again among the survivors, I'm afraid I won't be so lucky this time."
"So, I need to win over the survivors, the more people the better. The next question is, how do I win them over? What kind of compensation must I offer to make them wholeheartedly protect me?"
"What are my advantages, and how do I use these advantages to create conditions favorable to me?"
"Also, I need to find a way to make the Beyonder ignore me, if there is an Beyonder among us."
After some analysis, Lex already had a clear outline for his next actions.
Grumble.
His stomach rumbled, hunger urging Lex to get up. He put on his formal wear, picked up his cane, put on his top hat, and headed to the dining room.
In the dining room, most of the survivors were already awake, sitting in twos and threes.
As soon as he entered, Lex saw Joyce, the young man with blond hair and an aquiline nose, opening a silver pocket watch and looking at a photo inside.
In the photo was a young woman wearing a veiled hat, with beautiful eyes and a warm smile.
"She is very beautiful."
Walking up to Joyce, Lex lowered his voice and smiled.
Joyce turned his head, revealing a smile: "Thank you, you're awake, Mr. Lex."
Lex nodded, touching his top hat: "May I sit here?"
"Of course."
After Lex sat down, Joyce said, "This is my fiancée, her name is Anna."
"Then she must be a lucky lady, because her fiancé misses her so much even when he is far away."
Joyce, however, sighed: "But I don't know if I'll ever see her again."
Lex leaned back slightly: "Why do you say that?"
Joyce smiled bitterly: "Mr. Lex, we are murderers now. So many people died on the ship. After we go back, we will definitely be interrogated."
"If things go wrong, we might even face imprisonment. Even if I can still see Anna, it might be in prison."
Joyce looked around at the other survivors: "Actually, I'm not the only one who thinks this way. Everyone feels that there will be considerable trouble after we go back."
Indeed, it's pretty much as I thought. After all, so many people died on the ship. After disembarking, it will definitely alarm the police, and an investigation will certainly be necessary.
It's perfectly normal to worry about being imprisoned because of this.
Lex coughed lightly and said, "If it's that problem, perhaps I can offer help."
Joyce looked up, his eyes shining: "Mr. Lex, you..."
"My father is Baron Bison Disraeli. After disembarking, I will send him a telegram."
"I believe he will come with a lawyer. At that time, I can have the lawyer defend you and me, no, defend everyone. If the police think we are guilty..."
Lex deliberately raised his voice slightly, letting the few people nearby hear, immediately attracting attention and sparking discussion.
Joyce even said: "Mr. Lex, are you really willing to do this?"
Lex nodded with pleasure: "Of course, I have experienced all of this, and I know that everyone present is innocent. As a well-educated person with correct morals, how could I watch so many innocent people suffer injustice?"
"So I will definitely have a lawyer defend everyone, and I will definitely let everyone go home!"
Hearing these words, the solemn expressions on the faces of the survivors in the dining room gradually disappeared.
"So Mr. Lex is a noble. If he stands with us, then we can rest assured..."
And similar words were quietly spreading throughout the dining room. Lex was very satisfied; things were developing in the direction he hoped.
His noble status was his advantage, and he also expressed his attitude that he would stand with the survivors.
In this way, everyone's interests were unified. If anything else happened, to ensure their interests would not be harmed, he believed many people would stand up to protect him.
Just as everyone was discussing, footsteps sounded. The Captain, wearing a ship-shaped hat, the round-faced and amiable young Tris, and two other Sailors walked in.
The Captain coughed, drawing everyone's attention to him: "Good morning, gentlemen. I apologize for interrupting your meal, but there's something I must discuss with you."
"It's about our next itinerary."
Someone stood up, a burly man with thick body hair, this black-haired, brown-eyed, weathered-faced man said: "Captain, aren't we going back to Enmat Port? What's there to discuss?"
The Captain made a downward gesture with his hand: "Please sit down, Mr. Brando."
Then he put his hands behind his back and said: "That's right, according to the original itinerary, we were indeed going to Enmat Port. But gentlemen, don't forget what has happened on our ship these past few days."
"Although those madmen were murderers and we gave them righteous punishment, the essence of this matter is that we ourselves have also become murderers."
"Believe me, the brains of those police officers in Enmat Port are not much better than a curly-haired baboon's. I can guess that under pressure, they will eventually define this case as a brawl."
"In that case, we will all go to prison. My idea is that before the matter is exposed, we resupply at a nearby port and then head to Bayam, to that 'City of Generosity'."
"We can hide there for a while, and when the fuss dies down, we can try to return."
Immediately, an uproar erupted in the dining room.
Lex shook his head and whispered: "In that case, our suspicion would be even greater, and even with a lawyer's defense, it would be hard to explain."
Hearing this, the blond young man, eager to go home and see his fiancée, his eyes brightened, and he stood up abruptly.
"Quiet everyone, please listen to me."
Joyce vigorously waved his hands, attracting everyone's attention. After the dining room quieted down, he said loudly: "Captain, before you arrived, we also considered similar problems."
"We were very confused and afraid. However, Mr. Lex gave everyone a promise: he will have a lawyer defend us, and he will let us all go home!"
The Captain frowned: "Speaking of lawyers, I also know one or two. But I don't think any lawyer we can access can handle such a big case."
Joyce said confidently: "But Mr. Lex is different. His father is a Baron, a noble!"
"With a Baron hiring a lawyer to defend us, what else do we need to worry about?"
The Captain looked at Lex in surprise: "Is that true? Mr. Lex, your father is a Baron?"