Chapter 20: Coaxing "Sun"
"Good afternoon, Mr. The Fool! Good afternoon, Mr. Hanged Man! Good afternoon, Mr. Lovers! Good afternoon, Mr. Sun!"
Although Audrey had been worried about the existence of Qilangos after Fors and Xio reported their encounter to her and learned that it had already caused a death.
However, after being pulled into the Tarot Club again, Audrey's initial anxiety gradually settled, and her mood began to improve.
In Audrey's mind, ordinary Beyonders could only hold secret gatherings in the material world and had to worry about being hunted by official Beyonders; however, the "Tarot Club" was a gathering that took place directly above the illusory gray fog, resembling a conversation between deities.
This difference convinced Audrey that she and Qilangos were not on the same level, and her initially panicked heart calmed down a lot.
After Audrey finished greeting everyone, following the plan discussed with Klein before the Tarot Club began, Nimrod first signaled that he had something to say, then slowly spoke to "Justice" and "Hanged Man" around him:
"We have locked onto Qilangos's location and are preparing to launch a hunting operation against him."
For a moment, except for "The Fool" sitting silently on the throne, the eyes of the others revealed surprise and disbelief.
Qilangos has been found just like that? The Aurora Order moves this fast?
Alger was excited for a moment, but he forcibly suppressed the excitement in his heart and said to Nimrod in a deep voice:
"Where is he?"
However, Nimrod had no intention of answering Alger's question, simply raising his hands and pressing them down:
"Stay calm, Mr. Hanged Man. I can understand your idea of wanting to use the Church of Storms to encircle and suppress Qilangos, but sometimes please consider our situation."
"Compared to Qilangos, I believe the Archbishop of the Church of Storms holds more hatred for me and my subordinates than for him—I assume you are also clear about the situation between the Church of Storms and the Aurora Order."
"Hanged Man" Alger heard the words of "Lovers" beside him and understood that it was unlikely he would learn about Qilangos from him, but he still frowned and said in a deep voice:
"Then, how does the Aurora Order intend to handle this matter?"
"Please trust our professionalism, Mr. Hanged Man." Nimrod spread his hands and said to Alger naturally:
"Mr. A will be responsible for killing Qilangos, and I will also be present at that time to ensure your commission can be successfully completed."
"In addition, I can guarantee that the Aurora Order will not perform spirit channeling on Qilangos, and will keep his Beyonder characteristic intact—of course, because this is different from the commission you previously entrusted, the reward I require will also increase accordingly. How about it, the same as the bounty on Qilangos himself?"
"If you can pay an extra reward, the Aurora Order can also properly preserve Qilangos's Beyonder characteristic and hand it over to me for disposal. You understand, I happen to have a certain... status in the Aurora Order."
"As fellow members of the Tarot Club, I can guarantee that I can sell the 'Wind-Blessed' Beyonder characteristic to you at a normal price."
Listening to Nimrod's words, Alger was indeed tempted, but he was still considering the personal credibility of the Aurora Order's messenger before him.
Alger, who had long been engaged in "plundering" activities on the sea, was well-versed in this; after all, many things were one thing when said, and another when done. If there was no guarantee, then for him...
"If you don't believe it, you can request the witness of Mr. The Fool, and at the same time, after we kill Qilangos, the Aurora Order will announce responsibility for this matter in the newspapers and will not have any connection with you."
Nimrod said calmly, dispelling the last bit of doubt in Alger's heart. He pondered for a moment and nodded:
"I will save up the corresponding reward as soon as possible, but this matter requires Mr. The Fool's opinion."
Hearing Alger's words, a slight illusion arose in Klein's heart that he seemed to be working with Nimrod to scam this veteran of the Tarot Club.
Klein finally just nodded gently and said in the usual tone of "The Fool":
"I am willing to witness."
Only then did Alger's heart settle.
The god-like "The Fool" had enough credibility in his heart, and he understood the Aurora Order's methods even better. Although the Aurora Order's actions were often quite crazy, when it came to combat power, there were really not many Beyonders who could match the Aurora Order's "Shepherd."
It was just that before this, most of the Aurora Order's messengers and Believers were Lunatics who were difficult to communicate with!
After finishing the conversation with Nimrod, Alger lowered his head again and informed "The Fool" that he was about to obtain a large batch of Roselle's diaries, which immediately brought a bit of joy to Klein's heart.
For Klein, Roselle's diaries contained his life's research, and perhaps he could find a way home from them.
After the few exchanged words again and Nimrod took the opportunity to sell a few Beyonder materials, watching the Tarot Club gradually quiet down, Nimrod turned his head to look at "Sun" who hadn't spoken much beside him:
"Mr. Sun, I have always had a question I want to ask you."
"Sun" Derrick was stunned: "Please speak."
Nimrod nodded: "You once mentioned that you came from the City of Silver, so does the City of Silver still worship deities now?"
Before the Tarot Club began, Nimrod had mentioned the matter of the City of Silver to Klein, suspecting that the City of Silver's faith was the predecessor of the "True Creator," the Ancient Sun God.
Derrick was a little confused, and he just replied with a respectful tone quite honestly:
"We still worship the Lord who created everything, the Omnipotent and Omniscient God."
Alger frowned, realizing that this was some kind of primitive faith and worship, and subconsciously began to recall where this ally he had deliberately courted was actually located in the real world.
In Alger's memory, this kind of primitive faith was mostly distributed in the Feysac Empire to the north and the Southern Continent, belonging to the initial form of faith rather than the specific faith in the Seven Gods.
Klein sat calmly on the throne. Nimrod had mentioned his need to ask little "Sun" some things earlier—and Klein naturally readily agreed, because he was also quite curious about the city-state where "Sun" was, but as a "deity," he had to pay attention to his image at all times.
Family members, who understands? Having a mouthpiece as "The Fool" is really important.
As for our Miss "Justice," Audrey, who had just collected the materials to become a "Telepathist" a week ago, clearly hadn't realized the hidden meaning in Nimrod's words and was still just watching the drama.
"...Although I felt before that the place you live in had similar descriptions in the Lord's scriptures, now I can confirm my guess." Nimrod said to Derrick in a calm tone:
"In this way, we are 'compatriots'... Mr. Sun, I am a saint of the creator, I am His favored."
Derrick became excited immediately after hearing Nimrod's words. If it weren't for considering that Mr. "The Fool" was still sitting at the head of the long table, he would even want to stand up excitedly:
"You, what did you say? Could it be that the creator is still responding to your prayers?!!"
"We have been offering sacrifices to the Omnipotent and Omniscient Lord, but ever since the day we were abandoned, He has not responded to us..."
Hearing Derrick's words, a slight ominous premonition arose in Alger's heart.
How did this description sound so much like the internal narrative of the Aurora Order, the sanctuary of the True Creator, the "Forsaken Land of the Gods"?
The ally he had worked so hard to court was actually a human living in the "Forsaken Land of the Gods" who shared the same faith as Mr. "Lovers," his natural ally?
"Mr. The Fool, can I tell Sun that piece of true history recorded in the Aurora Order? Of course, I don't mind telling others the history that has been embellished by the Seven Gods."
Nimrod said to Klein, who was sitting on the main seat, in a pretentious manner, and Klein maintained the state of "The Fool" and nodded easily.
"The Fool" doesn't mind... It seems that "The Fool" and the "True Creator" might have had some cooperation in the ancient ages; this is all hidden, secret history that the church has concealed...
Alger pursed his lips unnaturally, thinking that he might need to make a choice between "The Fool" and the Church of Storms sooner rather than later.
However, it was not a choice of which side to join and which to quit, but a choice of which side to pledge loyalty to!
Although he was a double agent, Alger still knew the necessity of loyalty to an organization... especially the necessity of loyalty when facing a resurrected ancient god.
In the scriptures of various churches, there are quite a few examples of saints and angels being the original followers of deities!
He had stayed in the Church of Storms for such a long time, and he was only a Sequence 7 "Seafarer," a privateer captain squeezed out by the Church of Storms because of his mixed-blood status...
But the members found by Mr. "The Fool" all had prominent identities, some were mysterious high-ranking nobles, some were saints of the Aurora Order, and they could even easily solve Qilangos, whom he couldn't solve...
Alger closed his eyes, and a bit of self-deprecation arose in his heart.
"Why does Mr. 'Hanged Man' seem a bit unstable mentally? Is it because he has stayed on the sea for too long? Hmm, I heard Alfred say that life on the sea is quite depressing..." Audrey on the side noticed "Hanged Man" suddenly closing his eyes, and a bit of pity arose in her heart.
Even with the gray fog obscuring, Audrey could still rely on the instinct of a "Telepathist" to feel his overly fluctuating emotions from Alger, and for a moment couldn't think of why his emotions changed so violently because of the words just now.
However, Audrey's mystical knowledge was not too rich yet, and she didn't realize the blasphemy in the words Nimrod was about to say.
Now Audrey just felt that being able to come into contact with secrets related to deities was quite exciting.
"In our records, there is a continent permanently shrouded in Darkness; that is the land abandoned by the gods, and also the sanctuary of the True Creator."
"His honorable name is:"
"The Lord who created everything... The Master behind the shadow curtain... The fallen nature of all living beings."
Nimrod would deliberately pause after saying each segment, not directly stating this honorable name in its entirety.
Preventing the Beyonder characteristic of the "Profane Presbyter" on his body from resonating with the shadow lantern stored in another area of "Sefirah Castle," allowing the True Creator's main body, which was still crazy in the "Forsaken Land of the Gods," to notice him.
"But this is not the same as the Lord's honorable name!" Derrick subconsciously retorted, but Nimrod signaled him to stay calm:
"Your history should not be complete, you don't understand why the Lord abandoned you, am I right?"
Although he was very unwilling to admit it, Derrick nodded after a while, his tone becoming heavy:
"Yes, we also don't know why the Lord abandoned us."
"Is there a possibility that the Lord never abandoned you?" Nimrod hadn't forgotten his "saint" persona in front of everyone, opening his mouth to say to Derrick:
"It was the kings who betrayed the Lord and killed the Lord on the throne—and the Lord was reborn seven days later, but the glory had long been divided by the kings, so He changed His honorable name."
"He was once named 'Ancient Sun God,' the first sentence of His honorable name is also 'The Lord who created everything, the Omnipotent and Omniscient God,' and it is also the predecessor of the 'True Creator' we worship now."
Derrick was a little restless and uneasy for a moment, not knowing how to refute.
Just then, Nimrod's voice came again:
"However, we are also working hard to help the Lord return to normal, recovering the authority He once possessed. When that time comes, the Lord will again have the ability to dispel the Darkness."
"Hehe, telling you this is because I hope you can help me do one thing, which involves the Lord's recovery. Of course, because this matter has a certain danger, I will also give you a certain reward."
Derrick scratched his head: "Actually, if it is for the Lord's awakening, I should be the one paying the reward... Please tell me, what can I do?"
"You should know that we and you do not live on the same continent. The power of the kings isolates the inside and outside of the Forsaken Land of the Gods, and we are currently difficult to enter the Forsaken Land of the Gods."
Nimrod said slowly and methodically:
"I hope to make a request to Mr. The Fool later to bestow upon you an item closely related to the Lord. You only need to carry this item with you, which will help us help the Lord recover His state."
"If you cannot believe me, you can also ask Mr. The Fool to witness it, after all, Mr. The Fool is an ancient deity from the same era as the creator."
Nimrod's words brought a glimmer of hope to Derrick's heart, and a bit of astonishment surged into Klein's mind.
An ancient deity from the same era as the creator? Me?
And, what is the thing Nimrod wants to give to "Sun"? He didn't tell me about this before...
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#138Author's Note on Launch
Launch Note
Five chapters.
Hmm, there will be a minimum of five chapters tomorrow, and there might be additional bonus chapters.
I originally planned to coolly shout out "ten chapters," but I really don't know how much I can actually write tomorrow, so I dare not make such a big claim—it wouldn't be good if I said it and then failed to deliver.
Another year has gone by in the blink of an eye. I'm not exactly a new author anymore. Although I've been flopping since my first book, fortunately, I've had intermittent gains and have gained a bit of writing experience.
Of course, all of this needs to be presented within the plot. Although it takes a lot of time for an author to finish writing 4,000 words, when you actually read it, it always feels too short and leaves you wanting more.
As an author, I can only do my best to write. As long as nothing comes up this week, I will try my best to ensure a daily update of 2 chapters totaling 8000+ words. However, I still have my own life to live and not much time to write, so I dare not make any grand promises. I hope you, my readers, will understand.
However, I can guarantee one thing:
I have written a complete outline for this book, and as long as this book gets 500 subscriptions to qualify for the full attendance bonus, I can guarantee that I will finish writing this book according to its original planned length. If I can't get the full attendance bonus... then I will have no choice but to cut down the subsequent length.
After all, I still need to make a living.
Furthermore, the reason I still want to come back and write fanfiction for "mystery" is because of my passion for it; otherwise, I wouldn't have given up my previous experience to write the plot for Circle of Inevitability (after all, looking at the daily readership, the readership for the Circle of Inevitability part is clearly much lower than that of "mystery").
Of course, I will also pay attention to controlling the weight of the plot on both sides in the future and strive to make the pacing of the writing better.
After all, it would certainly be an exaggeration to say that "Circle of Inevitability" is terrible, but... is this really Cuttlefish's level? In my opinion, I think Cuttlefish should be able to write "Circle of Inevitability" better; it shouldn't be in this awkward, neither-here-nor-there state.
Hmm, it's getting late as I write this. Tomorrow at noon, I will first release two chapters, and then release three more in the afternoon. The evening update is not set in stone, but I think there should be at least two more chapters, right?
In short, Yuehu will do his best regarding the updates, and I leave the subscriptions to you all.
I would also like to thank all the book friends who have accompanied me until now in advance. I am deeply grateful.
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#139Trap (First update, please subscribe!)
Chapter 139: Trap
After the Tarot Club ended, only Klein Moretti and Nimrod Emonsal remained Above the Gray Fog.
Surrounded by the gray fog, Klein Moretti asked Nimrod Emonsal with slight confusion: "What is this thing you want to give to the Sun? Can that thing really help the True Creator gradually regain consciousness?"
Klein Moretti did not have much knowledge about high-level mysticism at the moment; he only had some understanding of concepts like "Sequence 0" and "anchors."
He had obtained this high-level mystical knowledge partly from Roselle Gustav's diary and partly from what Nimrod Emonsal told him after interpreting the scriptures of the Aurora Order.
Of course, he had also been communicating frequently with Azik Eggers recently, and Azik Eggers had also brought up some knowledge that Klein Moretti had not known before.
"It's unlikely to help the True Creator regain consciousness."
"After all, according to my estimates, there shouldn't be many living creatures left in the Forsaken Land of the Gods after thousands of years of Darkness, so there's no way to serve as an anchor for the True Creator. But—"
Before Klein Moretti could show confusion, Nimrod Emonsal added: "This is an insurance policy for you to pull in a resident of the Forsaken Land of the Gods."
"Do you remember what Roselle Gustav said in his diary? If he had a chance to start over, he would definitely choose one of the three Pathways: Seer, Marauder, or Apprentice. And these three Pathways are closely related to the mystery of how we transmigrated to this world."
"You should still remember who the original owner of this body I 'possessed' after I transmigrated was, right?"
"What I 'possessed' was a clone of the King of Angels, the apex of the Marauder Pathway, named Amon."
Klein Moretti pondered for a moment: "That's correct, but what does this have to do with what you're preparing?"
Nimrod Emonsal picked up where Klein Moretti left off: "After arriving in Backlund, I investigated the ancient materials inside the Aurora Order and obtained this piece of information:"
"Amon has another identity, and that is one of the 'kings' of the ancient era. Although not one of the Betrayer the kings, he is a descendant of the creator worshipped by the City of Silver."
Klein Moretti: "Ah?"
"I strongly suspect that Amon still has clones wandering in the Forsaken Land of the Gods—and will actively destroy those cities that no longer believe in his father due to the dark catastrophe."
"He seems a bit too unreasonable." Hearing Nimrod Emonsal's reply, the corners of Klein Moretti's mouth twitched for a moment: "If he wants revenge, he should go find those traitorous King of Angels. What's the point of coming to find his father's Believers?"
The corners of Nimrod Emonsal's mouth curled into a faint smile: "He is just that kind of person who bullies the weak and fears the strong."
Such an Amon is no longer the ordinary Amon; he needs a heavy blow!
Klein Moretti touched his chin, and after thinking for a few seconds, he looked at Nimrod Emonsal again, speaking with a hint of suspicion: "Speaking of which, you do seem to have inherited the memories of one of Amon's clones—so do you have a way to deal with him?"
Zhou Mingrui inherited the memories of "Klein Moretti" when he transmigrated. Since that was the case, it stood to reason that Nimrod Emonsal inherited the memories of Amon's clone when he transmigrated.
Nimrod Emonsal said with a smile: "That's right."
"And only'self' knows what'self' fears the most, so what I am going to send him is a trap wrapped in honey."
Yes, a trap. A trap targeting high-Sequence Beyonders of the three mystery Pathways—or specifically targeting Amon.
Nimrod Emonsal remembered very clearly that the high-Sequence Beyonders of the mystery Pathway in the "Forsaken Land of the Gods" were only the "Demonic Wolf" and "Amon."
The Demonic Wolf was currently suffering greatly from the Evernight Goddess who liked to litter, making it difficult to fully control his state; he was still wrapped in the Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings' little blanket.
However, in the original circlet timeline, Amon had indeed parasitized the "Sun" Derrick Berg, and almost came all the way to the Tarot Club through the little Sun's body. In the end, it was Klein Moretti who used ritual magic to clear away Amon's clone in the City of Silver.
For this reason, Nimrod Emonsal felt it was better to prepare in advance to prevent Amon from climbing up to the Tarot Club again through the Sun. Moreover, this was also an experiment.
From beginning to end, Nimrod Emonsal had never fully trusted the Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings—no matter how harmless the Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings appeared on a daily basis, he was still an Outer Deity among the three pillar of this world who leaned towards the "Chaotic Evil" faction, and the greatest evil god in this universe.
Therefore, Nimrod Emonsal intended to use the gray fog he controlled in the "circlet timeline" to create a fragment containing his own will and the Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings' will, using the aura of "Sefirah Castle" as bait to attract Amon, and then finish off this clone of Amon!
Based on Nimrod Emonsal's understanding of the Amons, he was certain that as soon as Amon discovered that one of his clones had been possessed by the Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings, he would immediately make that clone commit suicide. At the same time, the information about the Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings, even if just spread, was a form of corruption for Amon.
A King of Angels could only shield a portion of the corruption generated by information about the Outer Deity; it did not mean they could be immune to information corruption regarding the Old Ones!
For normal high-Sequence Beyonders, regardless of whether they belonged to one of the five omniscient and omnipotent Pathways of "God Almighty," as long as they learned the information about the depths, they were very likely to suffer severe corruption!
Therefore, even if he failed, Amon would only guess that it was the Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings at the Tarot Club and would become more wary of the Tarot Club.
In the deep night after the Tarot Club ended, Nimrod Emonsal took the opportunity to blitz Trier.
In Trier, "Passion" organization had already begun to take shape, and Lumian Lee had also taken the opportunity to find a group of subordinates for himself—Lumian Lee personally visited several merchants, acting as a go-between while using both coercion and bribery to form a chamber of commerce, recruiting a large number of thugs to take down the territory of "Chaos Street."
Of course, the Stinger Gang and the Sava Party also deserved credit for this:
The Stinger Gang's own boss was secretly cooperating with Lumian Lee. As for the Sava Party—some merchants not supported by the Sava Party had long suffered under them, so being able to find a backer was naturally a good thing.
Even if the requirements of this backer were relatively harsh and strict, even to the point of not resembling a gang, the merchants supported by Lumian Lee were quite willing to join this increasingly expanding chamber of commerce; after all, they could clearly see the benefits involved.
However, the Stinger Gang and the Sava Party were not completely inactive—after all, the Stinger Gang was not the "Roger" one-man show, and the Sava Party also had a certain degree of vigilance against this new "opponent," and they successively carried out assassinations against Lumian Lee, who was the visible cadre and the only one they could find.
Of course, Lumian Lee had long ago set traps near the Golden Rooster Tavern, burying all the Beyonders who came to assassinate him on the edge of his territory, like a silent Provocation.
Under such circumstances, Lumian Lee clearly felt that the "Provoker" potion was just one step away. He was now planning to assassinate several gang leaders to digest both "Provoker" and "Assassin," hoping to advance to "Pyromaniac" as soon as possible!
"—venerable blazing black and yellow, Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings."
After setting up the "Spirit Wall" and reciting the mystical texts from the East, Lumian Lee placed four portions of food beside him, completed the turning luck ritual again, and said respectfully to the shadow oozing from the center of the candlelight: "Godfather!"
"I have received the reply from Ms. Hela. Would you like to take a look?"
"Let me see." Nimrod Emonsal's phantom appeared in the center of the flickering candlelight, hazy gray mist shrouded around the candlelight, and the swaying halo added a bit of eerie atmosphere to the small room.
In the three days since arriving in the "circlet timeline," besides maintaining the identity of "Black Scorpion" Roger, Nimrod Emonsal had spent all his remaining time researching whether he could strip away his own spiritual imprint and create a trap used to deal with "Amon."
In the process of successfully creating the corresponding amulet, he also obtained many surprising byproducts. Now, this phantom that descended via the "turning luck ritual" was also one of the byproducts, a research result of Nimrod Emonsal.
After reading the letter Lumian Lee unfolded in front of him, Nimrod Emonsal heard Lumian Lee ask impatiently: "Godfather, I have a presumptuous request, er, do you have any way to help me mix into this Curly Baboon Research Society?"
"I guess the Curly Baboon Research Society might need to conduct some assessments, but I, who do not come from the same 'hometown' as my sister, might not have a way to pass this assessment."
"—This does have a certain degree of difficulty." I fight the Evernight Goddess? Nimrod Emonsal pondered for a moment: "But if it's just letting you have contact with some members of the Curly Baboon Research Society, I still have my own channels. However, before that, your mental state must pass the test, otherwise it is very easy to expose yourself."
Lumian Lee suddenly asked with some confusion: "Channels?"
Thinking of this, Nimrod Emonsal's expression suddenly became a bit happy: "In these two weeks, pay more attention to whether there are people trying to inquire about information regarding the boss of 'Passion.' Some of these people might have very strange reactions. I will give you some keywords later, and you just report any situation to me directly."
"This might be the opportunity that allows you to join this research society."
Others might not be clear, but "Sleeve Arrow" Franca, this die-hard two-dimensional fan, would definitely be able to see the connection between the "Boss" and "Passion" organization at a glance, and she also happened to be in Trier.
In addition, the channel Nimrod Emonsal just thought of was the "April Fools" that sometimes prayed to him—if he disguised his identity as the Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings, then the members of "April Fools" would have a high probability of taking the bait.
After all, except for "Loki" and "Mad Lady" and a few exceptions, the brains of the other "April Fools" members were not very good.
The only problem was that Lumian Lee might not be able to control his emotions when seeing the members of "April Fools." If he wanted to contact them in advance through this method, he must be prepared with items for disguise.
After exchanging recent information with Nimrod Emonsal again, as the candle lit for the ritual gradually burned out, Lumian Lee brought up Charlie's recent encounter again, mentioning the matter of Susanna.
Relying on his status as a cadre of "Passion" and his arrangements with the police station system, Lumian Lee easily fished Charlie out of the police station and drove this idiot to the "Eternal Blazing Sun" Church.
The only problem was that the evil spirit Susanna who had been pestering Charlie was now clinging to him, so Lumian Lee wanted to ask his godfather how to eradicate this threat.
However, Nimrod Emonsal's impression of Susanna was not too deep. In his vague memory, there was only the scene of her Beyonder abilities being solo-killed by "mystical smelling salts"—
Although he had a small experience of the "Fool" who was short on knowledge, Nimrod Emonsal still said without changing his expression: "Didn't 'Magician' ask you to use Osta Lord to approach Mr. K before? You can seek Mr. K's protection. As for the reasons, you can make them up yourself."
"Although Mr. K might not be able to solve Susanna, he is the favored of a certain great existence and has sufficient ability."
"If there is really no other way, come find me again."
Staring at Lumian Lee for a few seconds, Nimrod Emonsal smiled and said to Lumian Lee: "How is your potion digestion going?"
"'Provoker' is just one step away, and 'Assassin' is also more than half digested—the digestion of these two Pathways' potions seems to be complementary." Lumian Lee thought simply in his heart: "Godfather, I think I can finish digesting in these two days and can advance."
"Tell me after you have fully digested these two Pathways, and I will help you bring the remaining 'Pyromaniac' characteristic to you." Nimrod Emonsal nodded: "Before you advance, I will extract the boon equivalent to sequence 8 sealed in your body; after the burden on your body is a little less, your success rate of advancement will also be greater."
Although Nimrod Emonsal had not yet eaten and wiped clean the spiritual imprint in the Beyonder characteristics of the two fate Pathways in his body, because Lumian Lee still needed some time to digest the potion, Nimrod Emonsal was not in a hurry.
Moreover, Nimrod Emonsal still had an extra week of time. In this week, there were many opportunities to digest "Dancer" and "Monster."
The Qilangos incident was the biggest opportunity.
"Okay." Lumian Lee said confidently.
"Mr. Fried, the time for Duke Nigen's banquet is almost here, we should set off."
The "Shadow Ascetic" disguised as a butler knocked on the door of Nimrod Emonsal's room with his fingers. Nimrod Emonsal, who had put on his dress suit and dripped perfume, had his red hair draped down, looking even more like a noble than a proper noble.
—
"Coming." Nimrod Emonsal straightened his collar, walking towards the door with the airs of a noble, while casually saying to the shadow beside him: "Remember the location I gave you, do not make any mistakes."
"Once you see the target, directly use the 'Traveler' ability to teleport him to our newly built underground church, let all the compatriots participating in the siege solve Qilangos as quickly as possible, and then wait for my return."
"If you delay, it is very likely that you will be caught by the Archbishop of the Church of Storms, thereby exposing the Lord's state. Therefore, this operation only allows success, not failure."
Chapter 140: Dance of Fate (Second Update)
"Understood."
Mr. A whispered to Nimrod, and his figure quickly vanished into the Darkness.
Nimrod withdrew his gaze and, accompanied by many attendants, walked toward the carriage. His shadow slowly lengthened under the lights, merging into the quiet night.
Tonight, he would direct the death of Qilangos, dancing within the torrent of fate.
In Backlund's Empress Borough, within Duke Nigen's manor, a grand ball was gradually beginning.
The ball was divided into two parts: the hall with magnificent stone slabs was for dancing, with Duke Nigen's personal orchestra surrounding it; while the stairs on both sides of the hall led up to a corridor encircling the entire second floor.
Guests either held wine glasses while looking down at the dancing and fencing below, or invited ladies to dance in the hall.
On the other side of the corridor, passing through a pair of double doors led to another part of the ball, where fine wine and food were laid out on long tables, and another orchestra played melodious songs for the guests.
Nimrod walked with a baron who needed his help but was unwilling to give up his noble pride and decency. As they entered the hall, they whispered about the peerage: "It's more or less like this. I'm willing to help pull some strings. By the New Year at the latest, you'll be able to reclaim your family's glory—"
"Thank you." Nimrod masked his true emotions and said with a smile, "The Fried Family will not forget its friends. Heh, although my family has declined, I believe our family's glory still flows in my blood—"
"I have always believed so." The baron understood the hint in Nimrod's words and nodded with satisfaction. Just as he was about to say more, Nimrod nodded slightly: "Sorry, excuse me for a moment."
Fried has other acquaintances here? The baron's eyebrows twitched slightly as he followed Nimrod's figure, looking at a beautiful figure walking along the corridor in the distance.
The youngest daughter of the Hall Family, the most dazzling jewel of Backlund—the baron naturally shifted his gaze elsewhere, casually grasping a nearby wine glass while paying attention to what "Dionysus" was doing.
He intended to observe the relationship between his new "friend" and Miss Audrey. If he truly boarded the great ship of the Hall Family, he might be able to invest further in Fried to gain more benefits.
On the other side, Nimrod had already reached Audrey's side and said with a smile, "Hello, Miss Hall."
Nimrod didn't introduce himself because "Dionysus" had received quite a bit of help from Audrey in Backlund. Audrey naturally recognized the identity of "Dionysus"—otherwise, how could the company have been run so well in such a short time?
Mr. Lovers? This is his disguise—seeing the handsome "Lovers" with burgundy hair falling over his shoulders walking toward her, Audrey felt a mix of emotions for a moment.
On one hand, there was the freshness of finally meeting a companion from the Tarot Club in the real world; on the other hand, there was a slight embarrassment that the other party had disguised himself while she appeared in her original form.
But suddenly, Audrey realized something:
At the Tarot Club meeting the day before yesterday, Mr. Lovers had said he was preparing to kill Qilangos soon. He hadn't attended any noble banquets or literary salons for the past two days, seemingly preparing for today—
Plus the movement trajectory of Qilangos that Xio and Fors told me—
"Creeping Hunger" has the ability to make someone change into different appearances—
Qilangos sneaked into Backlund to obtain something—
Qilangos wouldn't... he wouldn't have snuck into the banquet today, would he!
Audrey's pupils constricted for a moment as she immediately thought of the worst-case scenario. She could only force a smile and say, "Hello, Mr. Fried—"
"
"Regarding the previous matters, I'm still very grateful to Miss Hall." Nimrod smiled at Audrey and said, "I happened to come here to discuss some business with a friend. I was wondering if I might run into Miss Hall here, but I didn't expect to meet you right at the start."
Audrey subconsciously entered the "Telepathist" state and observed Nimrod's micro-expressions:
He's hinting at something—the "business" he mentioned isn't Fried Company's business, but related to Qilangos?
Right, he's referring to the deal with Mr. Hanged Man!
"I'm glad I could help."
A flawless smile appeared on the corner of Audrey's mouth: "After all, we had a very pleasant conversation about literature and art before. Helping my friend is naturally an exciting thing."
Audrey, oh Audrey, you are no longer a little girl! Audrey mentally pumped her fist, feeling a sense of euphoria as if a secret code had been matched.
Just then, Nimrod's voice reached Audrey's ears again: "I actually hope Miss Hall can do me another favor. Some problems have arisen with several collaborations I was supposed to carry out tonight."
Miss Justice, you're quite the actress? Nimrod gave a thoughtful look and said in a steady tone, "Of course, constantly asking Miss Hall for help would make me seem too shameless. Although Miss Hall might not necessarily value what I have, personally, I hope to exchange half the amount of this collaboration for Miss Hall's help."
I guessed right, Mr. Lovers' collaboration refers to Qilangos's bounty! Audrey's heart suddenly filled with joy: "What do you want me to do, Mr. Fried?"
"I hope—"
"Lovers'" words flashed past Audrey's ear. She watched as "Lovers" took two steps back, a formal smile appearing on his face.
She also looked curiously to her side following Nimrod's gaze, only to see a gentleman with sparse eyebrows and...
...pale blue eyes walking over.
This was Baron Gramir.
"Am I interrupting?" Baron Gramir bowed with a slight smile. "Hello, Miss Hall. You are the brightest and most dazzling jewel of this ball."
Baron Gramir only exchanged a few pleasantries and, after a token greeting, walked toward the ballroom, leaving the two of them standing there.
Suddenly, Audrey noticed "Lovers'" lips moving, saying to her in an extremely low voice, "Did you notice?"
Yes, many details about him have changed, some don't match—Audrey was somewhat familiar with Baron Gramir. As a "Telepathist," her abilities were more than a notch stronger than before.
With Nimrod's reminder, Audrey quickly discovered the issues with Baron Gramir, and her expression immediately turned grim:
She suspected that this Baron Gramir was Qilangos in disguise!
"I hope that in 15 minutes, you can have a conversation with your father, Earl Hall. This is worth half the reward." Nimrod smiled at Audrey and said, "If you wish, I will stay near your family to provide protection in secret."
A hint of doubt flashed in Audrey's heart. After ensuring no one was nearby, she also asked in a low voice, "Why 15 minutes?"
"Because I believe you could discover the problem even without my hint, but telling them too early or too late might cause my affairs to fail or result in flaws. It's better to control the time so that I have enough time to complete the whole matter."
Seeing no one else around, Nimrod leaned against the wall and whispered to Audrey with a light laugh, "After all, Duke Nigen is a Believer of the Storm, and I don't have a confidential identity to claim the bounty."
True, Mr. Lovers is an Oracle of the Aurora Order, no, a Saint—if the Church of Storms knew his identity, the church's Beyonders would likely shift their focus to hunt Mr. Lovers with all their might.
But he is not only a companion of the Tarot Club, everything he does in Backlund is a good deed—he really doesn't seem to have the cruel style of the Aurora Order as reported in the newspapers—
Audrey maintained a proper smile on her face: "I understand. I'm very happy to do this."
Nimrod nodded and walked toward the dining area. In the few seconds it took to walk there, Nimrod quickly went over the situation in his mind:
Audrey's father, Earl Hall, and the Cabinet Secretary were now near the "dining area," while Duke Nigen was on the corridor above the dance floor, admiring the scene in the center of the ballroom.
Qilangos, disguised as Baron Gramir, needed time to prepare, familiarize himself with the surroundings, and plan an escape route. This required at least thirty minutes of repeated deduction to ensure he had enough strength to leave even if he encountered extra Beyonders—
The "15 minutes" mentioned to Audrey was enough for the Beyonders attending Duke Nigen's ball to prepare and ambush Qilangos, but not enough to notify the Church of Storms' demigod, "God's Songster" Ace Snake.
Everything was ready.
Nimrod casually picked up snacks while conversing with several familiar nobles around him.
And the baron who had specifically paid attention to the interaction between Nimrod and Audrey naturally introduced "Dionysus Fried" to his friends, clearly paving the way for the conferment of the title.
After a while, Nimrod felt the atmosphere in the air turn faintly tense. He blinked, and the scene before him suddenly changed. Sure enough, most of the Beyonders with colorful Beyonder abilities were gathered together, waiting for Qilangos to appear.
"Fried, I've asked several of my friends for you." Using the dinner plate as a cover, the baron said to the "Dionysus" in front of him, "The King intends to ennoble a group of nobles recently. If you plan to take back your title before the New Year, you need to be prepared this month."
Nimrod's eyebrows twitched slightly, and he deliberately put on a look of doubt and gratitude: "I see—I'll prepare early. Thank you."
"It is also my honor to let a surname that has lost its luster shine again. You don't—"
Before the baron could finish his sentence, the sound of glass shattering came from afar, followed by a scream that immediately turned his face pale: "What's going on?"
But at that moment, he saw that Dionysus's expression beside him remained unchanged, as if he hadn't heard the scream in the distance.
Just as the baron was at a loss, the next moment, an invisible wave rapidly swept out from the distance. The baron felt an uncontrollable fear for a moment and screamed, completely losing the etiquette and decency he usually pursued, running away like a frightened beast.
Such scenes occurred continuously throughout the ball, and soon, the surroundings fell into chaos. Seeing this, Nimrod slowly pressed his palm to his chest, seemingly bowing to an invisible gaze in the air.
Although no one could see Nimrod through the original's status, in a sense, the "Author" weaving the script already involved a certain amount of "Fate." Carried by the trend of the times, everything happening now was naturally the torrent of "Fate"!
Amidst the chaos, sounds of fighting and shattering rang out one after another. Nimrod hid in the crowd taking advantage of the turmoil, walking toward the ballroom as if swept along by the people.
But looking closely, one would find his movements were extremely orderly, quickly approaching the corridor.
That was where Qilangos was fighting Duke Nigen and numerous Beyonders!
For a moment, Nimrod looked like he was dancing against the flow of people. The crowd deterred by Beyonder powers was like an irresistible torrent of fate, making Nimrod, in his silk formal wear weaving through the crowd, look like a butterfly dancing in a whirlpool.
He watched as Qilangos ran toward his side, his pace gradually slowing as he passed Qilangos step by step.
Every person around him looked like a marionette in Nimrod's eyes, with invisible threads rising from each of their joints, stretching toward the sky.
At that moment, he suddenly turned his head, and several lights flashed in his eyes: "Thought Misdirection", "Mental Interference", "Illusion"!
These spirit-related Beyonder abilities were the key to ensuring Qilangos entered the encirclement as he had envisioned, and also served as a slight guidance.
Mr. A was also in position. The play—was complete.
Nimrod's steps slowly stopped, and like the others running wildly around him, he looked toward the broken window in shock.
But deep in his gaze, it was as calm as the deep sea. He stood there, feeling the two Sequence 9 Beyonder characteristics within him completely merge into his body.
>
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#141The Death of Zelingus (Third Update)
Chapter 141: The Death of Qilangos (Third Update)
The moment he leaped out of the window, Qilangos felt his mind become exceptionally clear.
Under the favor of the wind, he glided through the air as if he had grown wings. The moment he landed, he pushed off with his feet and vanished from everyone's sight.
How did they know I was going to assassinate Duke Nigen and set up an ambush there in advance? Qilangos's gaze darkened as he quickly ran toward the forest opposite, following the plan he had previously devised.
As long as he shook off his pursuers, he could rely on the ability of creeping hunger to change his appearance and blend into Backlund, and no one would be able to track him down again.
Even a demigod from the Church of Storms wouldn't be able to find him among the five million people in Backlund—it would be like searching for a needle in a haystack!
After shaking off his pursuers, Qilangos gradually slowed his pace, preparing to forge his trail. But at that moment, his gaze suddenly froze:
Beside the lake, within the forest, a person completely wrapped in a black robe stood quietly, their back slightly hunched.
A wild Beyonder performing a secret ritual?
The corner of Qilangos's mouth lifted slightly, and his gaze instantly turned cold.
He didn't intend to leave any traces of his actions, allowing the official Beyonders to track him down through this wild Beyonder. Moreover, this wild Beyonder could serve as nourishment for creeping hunger.
Qilangos slowed his pace and walked step by step toward the black-robed figure.
But at that moment, the black-robed figure suddenly straightened up and let out a chilling, mad laugh from their throat: 'Mr. L, no, the Saint truly leaves nothing to chance. Qilangos, you really did come here!'
'This is the guidance of the Lord!'
'For the glory of the Lord!'
Suddenly, the black-robed figure revealed a bizarre, almost feminine lower half of their face. Before Qilangos could react, they spoke in a deep and solemn voice: 'I come, I see, I record.'
A door rapidly opened behind the black-robed figure. Just as Qilangos was about to take action, he saw the black-robed figure step forward, reach out, and pull him into the door.
As the door closed, the surroundings returned to silence.
Over ten minutes later, the 'Singer of God,' who had just received the news, arrived with a group of people like a storm. He scanned the area, and his already stern expression grew somewhat gloomy: 'The trail ends here—'
After a severe bout of dizziness, Qilangos's gaze refocused, and a few thoughts surfaced in his mind: 'Is it that Traveler woman I encountered earlier?'
'No, judging from what he just said, it's the Aurora Order ambushing me!'
'How did they know I would come here? Why are they ambushing me?'
As for whether they were friend or foe, Qilangos didn't even consider it.
Because the moment he fell into this place, he had already seen several pairs of eyes hidden in the shadows and the Traveler who tore off his clothes, with a blood-red robe gradually growing out.
'Traveler'? Qilangos almost cursed in his heart:
Not a Traveler! This was definitely a Shepherd who had herded a Traveler!
His reliance to become a Pirate General was just an item formed from a Shepherd's Beyonder characteristic, creeping hunger, which couldn't compare to a true Shepherd at all!
As a Pirate General, Qilangos had some understanding of the Aurora Order. The 'Admiral of Stars' Cattelya, also a Pirate General, was acquainted with Ms. D and Mr. Z of the Aurora Order, and he had also collaborated with the Aurora Order to some extent.
He knew that the sole purpose of the Aurora Order was to bring the Lord they worshipped back into this world. Anything that contradicted this goal, whether it was a partner they had collaborated with just a day ago or their closest family, they would show no mercy.
Combined with what this Shepherd had just said, Qilangos didn't need to think to understand that his current situation seemed, probably, a bit unsafe.
Moreover, this wasn't something that could be resolved with words or Beyonder abilities. The only way to escape was to fight his way out with all his might.
Fortunately, Qilangos could comfort himself like this:
Although he had been teleported to an unknown place now, it was still better than being hunted by a demigod from the Church of Storms at any moment!
Just as creeping hunger in Qilangos's hand was about to change, he saw a 'young man' whose face seemed veiled by a faint, shadowy curtain push open the door. creeping hunger abruptly stopped the 'herding' process.
This is, The Dark Saint—
Upon seeing this overly distinctive feature, Qilangos immediately made some connections in his mind, and a relieved smile appeared on his face.
In the final moments of Qilangos's life, what he saw was a barrage of shadow spells cast toward him and a Black Knight clad in dark armor, with red light flickering in his eyes.
Inside Duke Nigen's mansion, Nimrod casually picked up an untouched glass of red wine from the table. While listening to the discussions of the gentlemen beside him, he savored the improvements he had gained after completing his digestion.
Unlike normal Beyonders, Nimrod's 'digestion' was a complete digestion—a devouring that returned the power of the Outer Deity to himself. Thus, just like when digesting the earlier Sequences of Error, the hidden information and deliberately removed Beyonder abilities gradually surfaced in Nimrod's mind.
The greatest improvement from Dancer was severing the connection with the Circle of Inevitability, turning this gift completely into a Beyonder characteristic, with no lingering drawbacks.
And Fate and destiny combined in some wonderful way, making Nimrod's perception of Fate clearer—
—and easier to find the most likely path in the chaotic river of Fate.
Although the improvement wasn't too significant for now, at least he had found a stable way to enhance his strength while temporarily unable to find a Dream-Eating Rat. Nimrod took a sip of red wine, waiting for the official Beyonders to finish their investigation.
At that 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 have confirmed that Qilangos has been killed—'
The baron beside Nimrod, hearing this voice, eagerly turned to Nimrod and said, 'Did you hear that, Fried? Qilangos is dead!'
This baron, who valued propriety, felt no embarrassment because, during the chaos earlier, most of the ball's guests had panicked just like him, and he believed Fried was no different.
Of course I know; I was the one who sent people to kill Qilangos— Nimrod glanced at the baron, his tone betraying no flaw, and said with a chuckle, 'He was always a reckless Pirate General—hah, his death was within our expectations. Being lured by a hefty reward to assassinate Duke Nigen was a foolish plan from the start.'
'Indeed,' the baron thought for a moment and felt it made sense. 'It's just a pity about Baron Gramir. After this incident, perhaps everyone will realize the importance of hiring security personnel and add a few guards—'
'However, Baron Gramir's financial situation doesn't seem too good, which might be why he didn't hire security personnel.'
'Perhaps everyone needs a trustworthy security company,' Nimrod said with a smile.'Speaking of which, you must have seen Qilangos's performance, right? I know a few—people in the mystical field. They handle my security.'
'Oh, my dear Mr. Fried,' hearing Nimrod's words, the baron put on a sorrowful, pretentious tone. 'You're not going to take this opportunity to pitch to me, are you? That doesn't seem like something a noble would do.'
'How could I?'
Nimrod's eyes flickered slightly, catching the hidden meaning in the baron's words: 'This is just concern between friends. Don't worry, the people I know have firm beliefs. Of course, you understand, such things can't be discussed openly.'
'It's just a pity that I worship the Evernight Goddess; otherwise, I'd probably get along well with those experts.'
Unfortunately, not everyone's mind was clear—some nobles always hoped to gain a small advantage and easily believed Nimrod's words, allowing him to effortlessly place Aurora Order members around them.
And this baron worshipped the Lord of Storms. Nimrod had given a corresponding hint in his earlier words:
The most powerful churches in Backlund were the Church of Storms and the Church of the Night. Since their faith wasn't the Evernight Goddess, it could only be the Lord of Storms!
Nimrod didn't even need to use the Marauder's Beyonder ability to directly mislead this baron.
The baron revealed a somewhat subtle smile: 'Then I'll thank you in advance—'
On the other side, after receiving news from her father, Audrey's heart was completely at ease. Although she received her father's warning 'not to inquire about this matter,' Audrey was quite happy to receive the bounty for Qilangos and her father's praise.
However, the bounty had to be split with Mr. Lovers!
Audrey thought silently, planning to have some necessary discussions with Mr. Lovers after the ball. This included the subsequent distribution and negotiations, as well as how to hand over half the bounty to Lovers without attracting attention.
While Audrey was thinking about what to do next, in a private small study within Duke Nigen's mansion, several major figures of the kingdom had gathered.
This included Duke Nigen's younger brother, Prime Minister Agusid Nigen, and the 'Singer of God' of the Church of Storms, Ace Snake.
'We've confirmed through mystical means that Qilangos is dead, but we don't know who did it,'
Ace Snake said: 'From the traces at the scene, a Traveler took Qilangos away, but the trail after that couldn't be traced—there's no news of either the Traveler or Qilangos.'
'We can basically confirm that behind the ambush on Qilangos is a secret organization with high-Sequence powerhouses. Alternatively, it could be personal vendetta—someone learned of Qilangos's movements and wanted revenge.'
'We need to figure out the purpose of this secret organization as soon as possible. But what you just said is also very likely. After all, Qilangos plundered at sea for years and might have killed a Beyonder's relatives or friends.'
Agusid Nigen said with great gravity: 'His Majesty will have the military and intelligence agencies cooperate. The Church of the Night and the Church of Steam are up to you, Bishop Snake.'
The 'Singer of God' Ace Snake immediately stood up: 'I'll arrange it right away.'
A few days later, in the evening.
Led by Fors and Xio, Audrey, wrapped in a black robe, sneaked out of her home and arrived at the Beyonder gathering organized by Mr. A.
Before this, she had already sent a letter to Mr. Lovers, arranging to meet at Mr. A's Beyonder gathering—anywhere else wouldn't suit their identities, and if caught by reporters, it would cause Audrey a lot of trouble.
Regarding the Qilangos incident, it could be said that everyone was happy. Fors and Xio received generous rewards from Audrey, while Audrey and Nimrod got the bounty for Qilangos, and Alger received news of his nemesis's death, no longer needing to worry about being threatened by Qilangos.
If anyone was dissatisfied, it was probably Qilangos, who didn't die peacefully, and the Church of Storms and Duke Nigen, who worked hard but couldn't find the mastermind.
After all, one was 'no review, default positive,' and the other was a victim of an assassination attempt, so they really couldn't be satisfied.
After passing through the familiar wooden door, Audrey saw Mr. A sitting calmly on the sofa in the empty room.
Seeing the three approach him, Mr. A scrutinized their faces with an examining gaze and slowly said, 'Mr. L is inside. You can go find him directly.'
This was directed at Audrey, while Fors and Xio were left outside. Mr. A stared at Fors, who seemed to be daydreaming, frowned, and with great effort suppressed his urge to urge her for manuscripts.
After a while, a servant beside Mr. A handed a piece of paper to Fors and Xio: 'Mr. A wants you to see if there's anything you need. If so, just tell him directly.'
Xio immediately perked up, glanced at the contents, and said, 'Mr. A, I want the Sheriff formula.'
'Agreed,' Mr. A nodded steadily. 'Come to the next gathering, and I'll help you complete this transaction.'
Mr. A's attitude seems to have improved quite a bit—could it be because of Miss Audrey and that 'Mr. L'?
They seem to have completed a transaction—speaking of which, who exactly is Mr. L?
Fors muttered to herself for a while, then saw Mr. A turn to her and say coldly, 'And you? What do you need?'
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#142Ambition (Fourth Update)
Chapter 142 Ambition (Fourth Update)
Ah? Fors took a good while to react. "Me?"
"Um, I don't have anything I need—"
Fors moved her eyes away from the list Mr. A's attendant had just handed her, thinking somewhat helplessly to herself:
I do want the potion formula for the subsequent sequences of the "Apprentice" Pathway, but it's not on here—
I've just received quite a bit in royalties recently, so I'm still quite well-off!
Mr. A heard Fors's words, nodded silently, and didn't say anything more.
In another small room, Audrey looked curiously at the "Lovers" gentleman in front of her. At this moment, the "Lovers" was maintaining the appearance of Dionysus Fried, with several black cats lying around and on him.
"Hello?" Audrey spoke tentatively, unsure if she should say the code name "Lovers" in the real world.
"Just call me Dionysus." In the glow of the sunlight, Nimrod calmly put down the book in his hand. "Miss Audrey, let's get straight to the point."
Right, about Qilangos—because of the Qilangos matter recently, I haven't had many chances to sneak out! Audrey thought for a moment and said to Nimrod, "Mr. Dionysus, regarding the Qilangos matter, I received a bounty of about 30,000 pounds, as well as a holiday manor gifted to me by Duke Nigen. How do you think we should divide it?"
Although there were two different rumors in Backlund's niche news—"Qilangos was killed by the Aurora Order" and "Qilangos was sent by the Aurora Order to assassinate"—it was clear that neither the official Beyonders nor the government believed the Aurora Order, which had negative external credit, and no one came forward to claim the bounty.
Therefore, the 10,000 pounds reward for Qilangos belonged to Audrey.
Bounties set by other countries and organizations would also be collected over the next few weeks. After accounting for losses and conversion, it would be about 20,000 pounds, totaling nearly 30,000.
"The manor is a gift to you from Duke Nigen; I only need 15,000 pounds of the bounty." Nimrod spoke softly to Audrey. "I know it's hard for you to transfer 15,000 pounds to me all at once, as any operation would be conspicuous, so I have a better plan that can offset the value of this 15,000 pounds."
Mr. "Lovers" is quite considerate, completely unlike the madness of Aurora Order members reported in the newspapers—Audrey sighed again in her heart and asked Nimrod, "What does Mr. 'Lovers' plan to do?"
"Recently, I have a plan—to raise capital for the company, intending to expand into more industries." Nimrod spoke gently to Audrey. "You should know the rumors in the noble circles recently, which is about my desire to reclaim my family's former title—"
"Of course, as a member of the Tarot Club, you also know that although my identity is just a disguise, obtaining a title indeed requires a lot of money. Therefore, I am quite happy to convert funds of unknown origin into company assets."
"Hmm—you mean, you hope to get financial support from the Hall Family?" Audrey thought for a moment and felt there was no problem with this. "But if I were to explain this to my father, I would need a sufficient, persuasive reason—even if I were to invest in my own name, there would be professionals to review and evaluate it."
"Moreover, if my father, Count Hall, believes that the Fried Company has enough potential and chooses to invest to take a share, then I think it's more like a new transaction rather than the previously agreed reward."
At this point, Audrey clenched her fists with some determination, choosing not to lie. "The most critical point is that actually, my father is already considering whether to invest in the Fried Company; and for me, without your reminder, I might not have discovered the problem with Baron Gramir, so I cannot use this matter to deceive you."
Miss Audrey is still too honest—if it were Alger, he would be bargaining with me by now. Nimrod shook his head. "That's not a problem."
"In fact, I think you need to know one thing: for a general, newly established company, 10,000 gold pounds might not buy the opportunity to obtain Count Hall's investment. I believe this is an equal exchange."
"Consideration is just consideration after all; Count Hall might eventually consider the risks and choose to wait and see for the time being."
"Furthermore, claiming a bounty is not a simple matter for wild Beyonders. For Beyonders without sensitive identities, what they claim is usually just a bounty issued by one country, and it's difficult to claim repeatedly."
Listening to Nimrod's words, Audrey was momentarily dazed. "Is that so?"
"That's right, so the value you played in this operation is more than you imagined." Nimrod spoke to Audrey in a gentle tone. "If you really feel this transaction is unequal, you can pay me 5,000 pounds privately in installments as a reward—this can be paid at the Tarot Club, there's no rush."
Of course, Alger still owed him 10,000 pounds, which Nimrod had not forgotten—though he also gave Alger the option to offset it with Beyonder materials and formulas that the Aurora Order didn't have.
There are quite a few Beyonders and Beyonder creatures at sea; about 20 sequence 8 Beyonder characteristics would be enough to repay the debt Alger owed.
Audrey thought for a while and felt that what Nimrod said was reasonable and met her standards of fairness and justice in transactions, so she nodded and agreed to Nimrod's terms.
However, after reaching this deal, Audrey was in no hurry to leave. Instead, after hesitating for a while, she asked Nimrod, "Mr. 'Lovers', I wish to ask you one more thing. I am willing to pay an extra reward for it."
"Tell me about it," Nimrod said to Audrey in a gentle tone.
Audrey steadied herself and finally spoke the question that had troubled her for a long time. "I hope to know what you said at the Tarot Club before—about the disaster related to Backlund. About..."
"...about the matter of His Majesty the King being the mastermind."
The atmosphere in the room seemed to turn cold. In the brief silence, the black cats that were lying beside Nimrod also seemed to sense the unusual atmosphere and scurried toward the corners.
After a while, Audrey finally heard Nimrod's voice. "I don't think this is something you should know."
"In fact, the disaster related to Backlund will not affect the nobles of Empress Borough; this matter has nothing to do with you."
"After becoming a 'Telepathist', you should also be able to see that your father's and your family's thoughts are different from their appearances, knowing that in your father's eyes, the glory of the Hall Family is above everything—and if you plan to intervene in this disaster, you will stand on the opposite side of the King."
"In my opinion, if you knew the truth about this disaster, there's a high probability you would try to stop it, which is not a good thing."
Audrey pursed her lips but still insisted on her inquiry. "Actually, when I learned about this a few weeks ago, I found it hard to accept and didn't dare to try to understand the truth. But after becoming a 'Telepathist', I have a new perspective."
"Even if I can't stop this disaster, I hope to understand the thoughts of the King and the high nobles, so that I can grow, rather than blindly chasing the mysterious and seeking excitement as before—"
"I... although I am a bit worried and a bit afraid, I cannot go against the morality and conscience in my heart."
If I hadn't joined the Tarot Club, hadn't become a Beyonder, and hadn't received Mr. "Lovers"'s tip when Qilangos assassinated Duke Nigen this time, would the people I'm familiar with have paid with their lives at Qilangos's hands?
Even if I have no way to stop everything happening in Backlund, at least I can know who the mastermind is and why the King wants to trigger a disaster in Backlund!
Nimrod gazed at Audrey for a moment and spoke slowly, "You don't need to pay me an extra reward for this question, but you need to promise Mr. Fool that you will not tell anyone else about this."
"After that Tarot Club meeting, I asked for Mr. Fool's opinion, and Mr. Fool is very happy to act as a witness to this matter."
Audrey nodded. "No problem."
Nimrod cleared his throat. "According to our current investigation, there is a situation of abnormal population disappearances in Backlund, and this loophole is getting larger and larger, and could be discovered by the Church at any time."
"Therefore, the King reached a deal with the Demoness Sect and the Aurora Order, hoping that the Demoness Sect and the Aurora Order would trigger a disaster to cover up the missing population with mass deaths."
"The location currently determined is the East Borough of Backlund."
After hearing Nimrod's words, Audrey momentarily forgot the etiquette she needed to maintain and opened her mouth slightly. "Why would it be like this?"
"Are the people of the East Borough not the King's subjects?"
"Sometimes, human lives are just a string of numbers, and for Backlund, the poor in the East Borough are the least valuable things." Nimrod closed the book he was holding earlier and said meaningfully, "Time is almost up, let's stop here for today. You should think carefully about what you should do, after all—"
"The King's will is almost equivalent to the will of 'Loen'."
"In the face of the torrent of the times, for ordinary people to just want to live well is the greatest ambition."
"Mr. Azik, long time no see."
On the streets of Backlund, the lights were dim. In a roadside cafe, Klein, wearing a trench coat, took off his hat and spoke to Mr. Azik sitting opposite him. "I'm really sorry, I've been in Backlund for almost two months, and I've only just been able to find time to meet you."
As a "Red Glove" of the Church of the Night, Klein naturally obtained the internal files of Qilangos being killed.
During these two weeks, the Red Glove team of the Detective Agency also began to investigate several population disappearance cases in the East Borough based on Klein's suggestions and Leonard's reasoning, and had some gains.
However, because the roots in Backlund are complex, even with an official status, the progress of the investigation is still not very fast. Currently, only a few kidnapping cases have been solved, and some information about the Demoness Sect has been found, but no trace of Ince Zangwill has been found.
Azik gently picked up the coffee cup and blew on it, smiling at Klein. "It's fine, Klein. I've also recalled some things while reading the news during this time."
Klein's eyebrows shot up. "You remembered your past?"
"Yes, though only a bit, not everything." Azik took a sip of coffee. "After the news of Qilangos being killed caused a stir the previous two weeks, I saw a report—the Aurora Order claimed responsibility for the Qilangos incident."
At this point, the corners of Azik's mouth curled up slightly. "Heh, although the reports say the Aurora Order hired Qilangos to assassinate Duke Nigen, I inexplicably feel they aren't lying. It seems from a long time ago, when I cooperated with them, they were not good at lying."
Klein asked curiously, "Can you tell me what you remembered?"
Azik nodded slowly. "This isn't something that needs to be concealed. In my first life, I seemed to be a Priest. At that time, I had cooperated with the Aurora Order—at that time, they didn't seem to be the recognized evil god cult they are now."
In other words, the internal materials of the Aurora Order that Nimrod interpreted were actually true records? Klein was momentarily surprised. "I see—"
"However, this doesn't seem to be helpful in finding the mastermind who killed my child; it can't help you." Azik shook his head. "Klein, the letters you wrote to me during this time have given me a lot of inspiration and memories. If you need anything, I will do my best to provide help."
Klein thought for a moment. "Mr. Azik, we are on the same side regarding the matter of the mastermind, so there's no need—by the way, a friend of mine is looking for a Beyonder material called 'Dream-Eating Rat', do you have any news about it?"
"Dream-Eating Rat—" Azik frowned slightly. "Speaking of this, I seemed to have some impression just now, but creatures like the Dream-Eating Rat seem to be nearly extinct—perhaps they exist in the subconscious ocean and the Spirit World."
"—But I'll keep an eye out for you."
Azik savored the Balam-style coffee in his cup and was slightly puzzled. "By the way, Klein, since you've joined the Church of the Night, why were you only able to find time to meet me so late today?"
"I'm currently disguised as a detective, and coincidentally, someone suddenly 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'll have to go over with my colleagues later. I'm not off duty yet, Mr. Azik."