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Chapter 41
🕑 Added 2023-11-26 02:29:58 +0000 UTC[Nightfiend Blade]
[Type: Scalpel]
[Quality: Legend]
[Special Effect: Never dulls]
[Description: A steadfast scalpel, though at half a meter in length. It seems better suited for slashing rather than surgeries. Nevertheless, intricate blade skills often manifest in detailed surgeries. It's said that at night, its sharpness intensifies...]
Three high-quality special items! Coupled with a generous amount of skull coins and experience! Without a doubt, the tasks of tonight have more than compensated for yesterday's losses, revitalizing Lynne greatly. He had also reached Level 10. Once this situation was resolved, he could consider a new profession. All in all, things were looking up.
Lynne did not claim his rewards immediately but temporarily stored them in the system's integrated storage space.
"It's all taken care of."
Blood-clad Evil Spirit, with furrowed brows, said, "From the looks of it, this was just a scouting party sent to investigate. You've likely provoked a sizable organization. If you don't come up with a plan soon, I fear greater calamities will befall you in the coming days."
After the incidents of both yesterday and today, Blood-clad Evil Spirit had come to realize the gravity of the situation.
In this Dark World, if one were to speak of an organization dedicated to researching top-tier bio-weapons, the Demonfolk Association would be unparalleled.
They were experts at melding machinery with flesh, an anomaly in the entirety of the Dark World.
"How did you manage to offend such an organization?" Blood-clad Evil Spirit, eyes narrowed, looked towards Lynne and said: "You've rarely left Wandering Soul Lane. How did you cross paths with such a group? Did you, perchance, fail in treating someone, garnering this resentment?"
Lynne calmly shook his head, "It probably has to do with an encounter my mentor had. I've yet to get in touch with him, so the specifics elude me." But regardless, he had safely made it through another sleepless night.
"We should clean up this battlefield and not linger. If we draw the attention of other creatures now, the risk would outweigh the gain!"
"Agreed!"
...
Over half an hour later. At Bloodsaw Potion Shop.
"It's getting late. I don't think anything else will come up today. You should head back and rest, miss."
Blood-clad Evil Spirit nodded, cradling the child, and said, "Yes, if you encounter any insurmountable issues, remember to contact me right away. Let's leave the curse with me for the next few days. Once we've sorted out this crisis, you can then treat me."
With that, Blood-clad Evil Spirit reached out, affectionately ruffling Lynne's hair with a smile. Holding her child, she turned and left the Bloodsaw Potion Shop.
It must be said, though this lady might seem mad, after the events of these two days, it became apparent that she was, in fact, a very reliable spirit.
Lynne didn't linger. He quickly shut the main door, headed to the guestroom in the backyard, and lay on the bed with his eyes closed.
Today had indeed been fraught with peril. Though not as terrifying as yesterday, the transformation of the hunter had certainly caught his attention. He was certain that the one controlling that hunter had to be an insider of the Demonfolk Association.
This meant the current peace was merely the calm before the storm. If he didn't find a solution soon, he'd undoubtedly face even more terrifying attacks in the coming days.
"I must find a way to contact my mentor or perhaps Little," Lynne resolved.
No longer feeling sleepy, he closed his eyes and commanded, "System, enter Vision World!"
[Ding! Skull Coin -500]
In an instant, accompanied by a profound sense of disorientation and detachment, Lynne's consciousness abruptly separated from his body. The next moment, he found himself in the familiar ethereal plaza. Above him, the massive eye remained, unchanging and eternal in its gaze. Upon entering, a barrage of information assailed his ears.
[Area Info Share: Following yesterday's incident, Wandering Soul Lane has once again experienced a high-intensity monster invasion. The invader is suspected to be the Demonfolk Association's cutting-edge bio-weapon. Residents of Wandering Soul Lane are advised to remain indoors to avoid any potential harm!]
[Area Info Share: Real-time intel update - The conflict in Wandering Soul Lane has concluded. One of the participants is believed to be the famed Evil Spirit Queen. The other participant is suspected to be the somewhat renowned apprentice of the Bloodsaw Potion Shop in Wandering Soul Lane. Click to play: Skull Coin 30.]
Lynne's eyes widened. The news had leaked onto Vision World so quickly?! And there was even a bloody video. Were there others on the street at the time?
Lynne quickly clicked to play.
[Skull Coin-30]
Instantly, a scene enshrouded in dark mist materialized before Lynne. The figures on screen were unmistakably the three spider-bodied hunters with human faces that they had dealt with just a short while ago. And then, in the very next frame, Lynne saw his own astonishingly handsome face come into view.
The footage began mid-battle, precisely when he had installed the Cursed Pupil and started his counterattack against the hunter. The on-screen count showed that 2,000 viewers were watching live. And above the video feed, a stream of comments raced by.
"It's that doctor!! I recognize him!! Holy hell, is he really that powerful?!"
"He's so hot! Would smash!"
"No wonder when I passed by the shop today, it looked all beaten up. I thought someone had finally trashed the place. But considering this, could it be the doctor who took part in yesterday's fight too?"
"Would smash x2"
"This is insane! I always assumed he was just a harmless apprentice. I had no idea Wandering Soul Lane had such an awesome dude lurking around!"
"I get it now! I used to think that human survived here because he was under the protection of that crazy old Bloodsaw. But now, it's clear he's quite the powerhouse on his own!"
"Would smash x3"
The comments kept pouring in, one after another.
Among the viewers were residents of Wandering Soul Lane and spirits from other areas within the same region. Many were asking about the identities of those in the video, and the viewer count quickly shot up to 3,000. This meant, just from this one piece of intel, the informant had raked in at least 90k skull coins.
What an insanely profitable gig! But this revelation left Lynne deeply puzzled. During the battle, he hadn't noticed any other beings around them. If he didn't notice, perhaps one could argue it was due to his limited strength. But neither Left Hand nor Blood-clad Evil Spirit had sensed anything amiss, which indicated a deeper issue.
Lynne pondered. Clearly, this informant was deeply rooted in Vision World, belonging to a particularly capable class of beings. Information sharing was likely one of its primary operations. Considering that perhaps he could approach this being for a method to swiftly establish contact with specific targets.
Lynne quickly pulled up the shared information to find the name of the creature responsible for the post in Vision World.
He clicked.
[Information Broker 024]
[Identity: Information Merchant]
[Message: Shares and sells intel from various regions of the Dark World. If you're in focus → can initiate transmission.]
An intelligence broker indeed!
Without hesitation, Lynne focused his gaze on its information interface. In a blink, the scene before him became distorted. The next moment, he found himself seated in a cramped room, illuminated only by a lamp on a desk and a mysterious figure in a black robe on the other side of the counter.
"Guest, what can I assist you with?" The cloaked figure inquired calmly to the suddenly appearing Lynne.
Lynne scanned his surroundings, resting his gaze on the robed figure, and responded steadily, "Are you the informant who shared the intel?"
The robed figure, seemingly used to such inquiries, replied smoothly, "I am Information Broker Number 24, responsible for the 900th area. I can offer you all valuable information within this region. However, it comes at a hefty price."
Lynne glanced at him, remarking, "Your place seems quite deserted though."
Number 24 elaborated, "This is an independent grid I've requested from Vision World. Each customer who enters my shop is transmitted to a distinct grid space. At present, I am concurrently attending to another 754 customers in different grids."
Lynne nodded in admiration. Impressive. To attend to so many at once wasn't something an ordinary being could achieve.
Without further ado, Lynne inquired with seriousness, "I wish to purchase some information, provided you have relevant sources."
"Go on," Number 24 stated succinctly.
Lynne adjusted the non-existent monocle on his face and said, "Firstly, I want to know the exact location of Bloodsaw."
A brief silence ensued. The candlelight flickered. Then, with an unchanging tone, Number 24 slowly said, "50 black skull coins."
Lynne exclaimed, "What?! Fifty black skull coins? That's a whopping 500,000 skull coins!"
You've got to be kidding! I'd have to sell my entire shop to afford that!
Number 24 continued, "The information on the target was upgraded to an 'A' level just a day ago. We're continually updating the info, and the price has surged 50 times. Currently, you're not the only customer seeking the target's location."
Lynne felt a stir in his heart as he had suspected. His mentor's situation wasn't good. Apart from him, the Demonfolk Association was surely employing every means to find his teacher.
Lynne took a deep breath, maintaining his composure, "My second question: How can I quickly contact a specific being over a long distance?"
Without missing a beat, Number 24 replied, "Depending on the method, the pricing varies. The lowest fee is 100 skull coins and the highest goes up to one hundred thousand black skull coins. You can choose the specific level."
Lynne closed his eyes, "The cheapest."
He initiated the transfer immediately.
[Skull Coin -100]
Number 24 nodded, explaining slowly, "Payment received. To answer: The fastest method to contact a specific being over a distance is through Vision World. Vision World is a mirror world overlapping with the Dark World, with a teleportation function. Within Vision World, you can freely communicate with any being that is logged into Vision World from any region."
"..."
A brief silence.
Lynne hesitated, "And then?"
Number 24 stated evenly, "Answer completed. Thank you for your patronage."
"..."
Lynne, somewhat exasperated, said, "Is that worth a hundred? If I could contact someone within Vision World, would I need to ask you?"
Number 24 responded succinctly, "It's the lowest level of information."
In other words, you get what you pay for.
Lynne tried to calm himself, eyes shut and said with gravity: "I'm revisiting the same question. This time, I want the information worth 1 black skull coin."
Payment successful.
[Skull Coin -1000]
Number 24 paused, then began, "Payment received. To answer: You can hire a [Covenant Messenger] to deliver your message over long distances. Depending on the cost of the messenger, the speed of delivery might vary."
Having said that, Number 24, who had remained as still as a statue until now, extended a pale and delicate hand from his robe, placing a register on the counter.
"We also offer messenger hiring services here. You can choose any messenger from our list."
Lynne glanced at him. This piece of information seemed to be worth its price.
Lynne's gaze swiftly landed on the registry lying on the counter. He opened it and began to peruse its contents.
[Fate's Bat: A mythical beast messenger. By utilizing the target's bodily tissues and true name, it could swiftly convey messages. Additionally, it carries misfortune to its target.]
[Tamed Hellhound: Possessing keen senses of smell and tracking abilities, a mere whiff was enough to deliver messages over vast distances. However, it often vanished, never to return.]
[Void Leapers: An exceedingly efficient messenger, boasting the swiftest speeds in the Dark World. It delivered messages promptly, teleported quickly, and died abruptly—everything was swift.]
[Swamp Turtle King: Holding the pinnacle defense and armor in the Dark World hierarchy, it could ensure a hundred percent intactness of letters. Unwaveringly reliable, it maintained a 0% mishap rate in the industry, perennially topping the safety charts, unchallenged.]
After glancing through the options, Lynne felt that the Turtle King seemed somewhat promising.
"I'll go with the Swamp Turtle King," he decided.
Number 24 paused momentarily, seemingly checking, then said languidly, "I am currently scheduling for you. At present, we have five available Turtle King messengers. Accident rate: 0%. Speed: 1m/h..."
"Hold on!" Lynne interrupted him in disbelief, "1 meter per hour??"
Number 24 nodded, clarifying, "Yes. Owing to a special breed modification, its speed has increased more than tenfold compared to previous years. The Turtle King you've selected holds our store's longstanding racing record, unmatched by any other turtle."
Lynne: (꒪Д꒪).
Lynne exhaled deeply, his eyes shut and fists clenched. "Do you have anything more reliable here?" he inquired, his patience evidently thinning.
Number 24 responded leisurely, "Currently, only these four messengers are available. However, we're in the process of taming more varied messengers. If you find these unsatisfactory, you could consider returning after some time."
Lynne's brow furrowed, his thoughts racing. After what seemed like an eternity, he queried, "The Turtle King offers high security but is slow, right?"
Number 24 nodded, "Indeed."
Lynne pondered a moment longer. "And the Void Leapers is fast but has a tendency to drop dead suddenly?"
After a brief pause, Number 24 confirmed, "Precisely."
With a resolute smack on the table, Lynne calmly declared, "Reserve two of each for me. It's urgent."
Nodding, Number 24 briefly hesitated before informing him, "Your reservation has been successful. Please provide your address in the Dark World, and we'll dispatch them as swiftly as possible. As these involve biological contracts, transactions within Vision World are unfeasible. Rest assured, we maintain strict confidentiality. Your information is safe with us."
He slid a form across the counter to Lynne, who hesitated momentarily. After a swift glance at Number 24, Lynne jotted down an address—the one next door.
Reclaiming the form, Number 24 intoned, "Two Void Leapers and two Turtle Kings. Your total hiring fee amounts to 2,600 skull coins. Once payment is processed, your order will be dispatched promptly."
Lynne's face contorted in disbelief. "Didn't I just give you a thousand coins?"
Number 24 clarified, unhurried, "That was the consultation fee for information. Now, it's the hiring fee for the messengers. These transactions are separate."
Silence enveloped them.
[Ding! Skull Coin - 2,600]
Number 24, ever the professional, articulated, "Payment received. Your order is being arranged for dispatch. You may await its arrival; it's expected within two hours. The biological contract scrolls will be handed to you, complete with an instruction manual for appropriate use. Thank you for your patronage."
...
