SWNOVELXO Chapter 15: 15
Chapter 71 TokenTitle of the Book: Mystery: Fire and the Fool's Path Author's name: December's Stranding Chapter word count: 3020 words Update time: 2025-05-21 13:55:39
The crisp sound of plates breaking immediately attracted the attention of almost everyone in the restaurant. Caroline seized the opportunity to turn her head and pulled her hand back under the table.
"Oh goddess, what happened."
She screamed in a mock manner, and glanced at Lanevus who was also looking at the accident scene across the table.
At a certain angle that she couldn't see, Lanevus's smile disappeared instantly. A dangerous and dark light immediately appeared in his eyes, and he glared fiercely at the waiter who accidentally dropped the plate.
Oh no, I can't help it…
Caroline sneered in her heart. In order not to arouse suspicion, she quickly looked away and focused her attention on what was happening at the next table.
"I am so sorry sir, please forgive my mistake!"
A young man wearing a striped vest, with extremely curly brown hair and a slightly darker complexion, who looked like he was from the southern continent, was repeatedly bowing and apologizing to a gentleman in formal clothes.
"What is happening!"
The restaurant manager rushed over immediately after hearing what was said. When he saw the broken plates on the ground and the waiter bending over, his upturned mustache seemed to fly up.
He hurried to the table and apologized to the gentleman:
"I'm sorry, dear sir, it's our negligence that disturbed your dining mood."
The middle-aged gentleman sitting on the chair did not act aggressively. He waved his hand and said in an equally embarrassed manner:
"It was actually my fault. I stood up suddenly and bumped into the young man accidentally. He does a good job. Please don't punish him."
"You are such a kind and generous gentleman and it is an honor for us to serve you."
Seeing that the disturbed gentleman did not pursue any matter and even took most of the responsibility, the restaurant manager immediately breathed a sigh of relief. He then gave him a lot of praise and the waiter next to him bent over even harder.
The sudden farce ended without too much negative emotion on either side, and the diners who were watching the fun in the restaurant turned their attention back to their tables.
"What a respectable gentleman. He looks like a wealthy businessman."
Caroline sighed and turned her attention back to the table.
At this moment, Lanevus on the opposite side had already raised a decent smile again, as if the fierce look Caroline had seen just now was just an illusion caused by a momentary blindness.
"Well, I know this gentleman. He is a well-known factory owner in Tingen, a philanthropist named Sir Deville. There is a local library named after him, and he also opened a trust company to provide cheap rental housing for low-income workers."
Lanevus said this, as if he had thought of something, and the smile on his face slightly grew.
"I once had dinner with him, and we took a photo together. It's in my office."
I thought you had a cat that could backflip in your office...
Faced with these words that were obviously meant to flatter her indirectly, Caroline pretended not to see the smug look on Lanevus's face and casually praised him a few times.
Then, she readjusted her mood, slowly made her expression become lonely again, and then slowly spoke:
"Mr. Lanevus, I plan to go back to Backlund and try to convince my family to let me continue to go out and collect materials."
The incident just now interrupted Lanevus's prepared speech. Caroline could guess what he originally wanted to say. He was just trying to "take her down" as soon as possible by using sweet words and extraordinary abilities. How could she let him continue to express his views?
An interruption caused the initiative that was originally in Lanevus's hands to fall into Caroline's hands. The former twitched his lips obscurely, but still pretended to be a good gentleman and said gently:
"You are such a kind girl... Well, actually, I think you don't have to worry too much about other people's opinions. You have the opportunity to survive on your own."
"For example, leaving home and working hard with a capable person to live together."
Caroline was stunned for a moment, and then she realized that Lanevus had originally intended to trick her into eloping with him! ?
You are so bold, where does your confidence come from...
Caroline bit her lip, took a few breaths quietly, calmed herself down, and continued to speak as if she were reciting a text without being interrupted:
"But Mr. Lanevus, they are my family after all. I can't ignore their thoughts."
"I hope to get the support of my family, or at least make them agree with my ideals, just like you said before."
Using Lanevus's previous boasting to set a trap was also a useful technique for dealing with such shameless guys.
Sure enough, after Caroline insisted on returning to Backlund, Lanevus stopped talking. His fingers kept rubbing against each other, his nails digging into the flesh of his palms.
Seeing the good effect, Caroline quickly added:
"I am still confident that I can convince my family. Once they agree, I will return to Tingen."
Upon hearing this, Lanevus calmly adjusted his glasses and asked:
"So when are you planning on leaving?"
"I plan to leave in the evening. Looking at the weather... it seems like it might rain in the next few days. I'd better go back early."
Caroline said, glancing at the overcast weather outside.
Then she lowered her head. Although there was still a smile on her face, worry was evident in her eyes.
Playing with her fingers and skirt, she said softly:
"Actually, I still feel a little reluctant to leave this place. I haven't even had a good look around Tingen yet, and I'm leaving after just meeting a few people. I can't bring back anything meaningful..."
Lanevus, who had been planning to stop, immediately became like a fly that had smelled a fresh wound when he heard this. A new light flashed in his slanted eyes.
"In that case..."
Lanevus smiled cheerfully, took out a small ring from somewhere, and handed it to Caroline.
"Why don't you take my thoughts with you back?"
Caroline looked at the exquisite ring in Lanevus's hand and couldn't help but take a deep breath.
Then her eyes turned red and she covered her mouth with her hands as if she was very surprised.
"Mr. Lanevus…!"
The corner of his mouth, hidden under his palm, raised a smile that rivaled Lanevus's.
...
The meaningful "date" is over.
Lanevus considerately sent Caroline to the corner of Zouteland Street. After a cordial farewell, he took a carriage back to the steel company headquarters in the southern district alone.
After walking back to his office, Lanevus turned around and locked the door. His expression immediately became full of disdain and mockery.
He turned around, looked at the person sitting on the sofa in his office, and said:
"The time we agreed to meet shouldn't be today, right? Mr. Sirius Aripis."
Sirius looked back at Lanevus, smiled while holding the empty teacup in his hand, and said while crossing his left leg:
"Aren't we friends? Is it not allowed to visit friends?"
"Even as a friend, you should apply through formal channels at my reception desk and then meet me openly, rather than in this way that could be misunderstood and easily attract attention."
As he spoke, Lanevus looked towards the window in the office that had been closed but now opened.
"Haha, don't worry, no one will find out."
Sirius waved his hand nonchalantly. After putting down the teacup, he stood up, walked to Lanevus in small steps, raised his eyebrows and asked directly:
"Have you found a new 'Mother'? Was there something wrong with the previous woman?"
Lanevus raised his head and said with his mouth curled up:
"No, there is no problem. How could there be a problem? You can not believe me, but you can not not believe in God."
"She is in good condition now. With my regular visits, she doesn't think there will be any problems with the baby in her belly... Hehe, but I don't think she can detect any problems either."
Hearing this, Sirius finally showed a satisfied smile on his face. He breathed a sigh of relief and said to Lanevus with a smile:
"That's perfect."
"Tsk tsk, what a pity! I think the new woman you met is more suitable to be the 'Virgin Mary'. Her conditions and qualifications are better than the previous one. I think the great Lord will like her more. Haha, good things always come next."
Mumbling incoherently, Sirius glanced at Lanevus again and clapped his hands in admiration.
"But you are really amazing. You found such a nice woman right away. What did you do before?"
Lanevus raised his chin slightly with pride and looked down at Sirius with his eyes lowered.
"I've had a lot of jobs, and if I wanted something, I could get it."
"Really? I think you clearly failed this time."
"It's just that you think you've failed. Part of that girl's heart is already with me. Just wait and see, she will return to Tingen soon. She's just being reserved for a while now. This is a matter of face for you Loen people."
Sirius shrugged noncommittally and said:
"Then I'll be looking forward to it."
The smile on Lanevus's face grew brighter, but the mockery in that smile also grew sharper and more glaring. Unfortunately, Sirius Arepis did not notice Lanevus's hidden thoughts.
He only heard Lanevus calmly say to him:
"Ah, you should really look forward to it."Chapter 72: Beside TingenTitle of the Book: Mystery: Fire and the Fool's Path Author's name: December's Stranding Chapter word count: 3056 words Update time: 2025-05-21 18:27:10
"This is really great, so clever, I didn't expect that someone like me who has never been in a relationship before could lead this damn date so smoothly!"
Caroline spun merrily around the hotel room, a celebration she had already performed upon entering the room in a more intense way, with the result that she nearly hit the lamp on the table with her swinging fist.
She held the ring, wrapped in a new handkerchief, high in her hand, and admired the trophy with joy in the bright gas light.
She had already obtained enough information about Lanevus through the interview and the dinner date just now. This ring also came from Lanevus. After getting it, she had tried her best to avoid too much contact with it. After parting with Lanevus, she quickly bought a handkerchief to wrap it up.
Ovis had access to divination, and he was able to locate the scammer in Tingen through a divination.
In his own words, he used the items left behind by the scammers for divination, so it seems that this ring should also be able to be used as a medium for divination.
"It is enough to collect information here. If you want to get more, you may face more risks."
Caroline thought about it, wrapped the ring in a handkerchief, and added a layer of protection with the leftover oil paper before putting it into the packed suitcase.
It's time to prepare to return to Backlund to deliver the commission...
Caroline sat on the edge of the bed and looked around the room that she had cleaned.
All her personal belongings had been packed up, and the room remained in much the same state as when she moved in, except for the messy bed.
I'm going back, I'm really reluctant...
The melancholy feeling similar to that at the end of a trip when she was about to go home surged into her heart uncontrollably. Caroline looked at the bunch of severely dehydrated dried spinach still on the table, her thoughts a little scattered.
Although it is possible to return to Tingen later, I will use the "Void Cube" to check the situation before I leave.
Thinking of this, Caroline took out the "Silver Key" and held it in her hand.
After solemnly chanting her honorable name, the "Void Cube" unfolded at the call of her thoughts, and solid space was established around her again.
The stacked "reports" appeared fluorescent, and Caroline picked up a "report" with great interest and began to browse through it.
When there is no major news, the "reports" are like a window reflecting the people's livelihood, simply elaborating on local news and current affairs, and it does have a certain fresh breath of life.
To use an inappropriate metaphor to describe it, it is a compressed and streamlined "village intelligence station".
But for Caroline, who has now completed the commissioned work, it is not bad to read this kind of ordinary little news.
But this dullness did not last long. After she threw away a "report" that appeared around nine in the morning and picked up the next one, her attention was immediately attracted by the headline that was full of information.
Behind the Workman Murders
Oh? Finally, there is some new progress...
Although Old Neil had warned her not to pursue the case any further, reading the news didn't count as pursuing the case, right?
Caroline thought so and then looked down.
"No one would have thought that a seemingly ordinary murder case would be closely related to the extraordinary events that happened in Tingen recently."
"The "Nightwatchers" team of the local Church of the Goddess of Night in Tingen started with a mass suicide case and was tracking down an ancient notebook from the Antigonus family. After investigating and recruiting Klein Moretti, the only survivor of the suicide case, the "Nightwatchers" search almost reached a bottleneck. The notebook that disappeared inexplicably was lost, and no clues appeared again until the day after the Walkerman incident, when another coincidence occurred. "
"A member of the Nighthawks, Neil, who is over 60 years old, learned new information from Caroline Williams, who was investigating the truth of Workman's death. Realizing that the Antigonus family notes had reappeared, he immediately informed his colleagues in the Nighthawks of the information..."
Wait a minute! What did it just say?
"Night Watcher"? Old Neil is actually a "Night Watcher"? Isn't he a consultant for the Tingen Police Department?
Caroline, who was concentrating on reading, was immediately attracted by the breaking news. She put her eyes close to the "report" in great surprise to make sure that she had not read the wrong words due to dizziness.
I didn't expect that Old Neil, the old man with thick eyebrows and big eyes, is actually the "Nighthawk"... Well, it seems that there is nothing wrong with this.
Well, this actually explains why Old Neil, a Beyonder, would show up in a place like the police station, which represents official affairs. It turns out that he himself is an official.
Well, in that case, the "Dragon Bar" is indeed a channel for extraordinary underground transactions!
Caroline's mind worked quickly and she quickly continued to look down.
"After receiving Old Neil's intelligence, the "Nighthawks" team quickly went to Walkerman's residence and took over the murder scene in the name of the inspector."
"Klein Moretti, the person involved in the notebook incident, had already become a Sequence 9 fortune teller. He used his connection with the Antigonus family notebook to confirm through clairvoyance and meditation that the person who broke into and killed Walkerman that night was the one who took the notebook. Later that night, Dunn Smith, the captain of the Nighthawks, used his "nightmare" ability to conduct a dream investigation of the residents near the site of Walkerman's car accident, profiled the suspect, and then found a man named Riel Bibb based on the police station's demographic data."
"The Night Watchmen took advantage of the dark night and came to Riel Bibb's home, where they found Riel Bibb's mother who had been dead for many days, and completely confirmed that he was the one who took the Antigonus family notes."
"Extraordinary events are ultimately linked to the lives of ordinary people. No one would have thought that Tingen, which appears calm on the surface, is actually surging with undercurrents."
"After finding the clues, the Nighthawks notified the police to withdraw the compulsory measures taken against Tang En and released him, and instead launched a wanted warrant for Rui Er Bibb."
"Poor Charlie Workman will get his due, but only after Rel Bieber is caught."
"Whether the Nighthawks can really seize the opportunity depends on fate."
——"Who wrote this third-rate script?"
That's a good point, but if you ask me, who should I ask? God knows what's going on.
Caroline put down the "report" with a smile and tears. She never thought that so many things happened just one day after she stopped investigating the Workman incident.
And she really couldn't have imagined that Workman's death was actually related to extraordinary events and the "Nighthawks"!
She guessed that the murderer of Workman was not Don, but the real murderer was actually the suspect of the extraordinary incident who was being pursued by the "Nighthawks" - this bold idea would never come out of her mind at the moment.
"The strange notebook that the witnesses mentioned is an ancient notebook from the Antigonus family... Notes passed down from such a large family are probably somewhat dangerous."
"Wandering around the streets with this kind of thing, and killing an innocent vendor because of a conflict, Tingen is about to become dangerous..."
Caroline sighed. If the Walkerman incident was just an ordinary homicide, she could have alerted the police after getting new information. But now, she decided to give up.
"It's a good thing that Old Neil is the Nighthawk. I have gained his trust, and my future actions and safety in Tingen will be guaranteed."
"Heh, now I remember that I went to remind Uncle Albert before I left Backlund. Did he take any action?"
During the days in Tingen, Caroline did not feel any sense of being followed, and the "Void Cube" did not give any corresponding "reports", so she had no way of knowing.
But one thing is certain, that is, the murderer who killed the original body most likely did not continue to chase her, at least he did not chase her to Tingen.
However, after learning that there was such a bizarre incident under Tingen's simple daily life, she actually hoped that the murderer would come to Tingen.
Who knows, this bunch of perverted murderers, treacherous swindlers, and note murderers might catalyze some new chemical reaction when they get together, and then they will all be wiped out by the official extraordinary people, and then everyone will be happy.
...
After reading the "report", Caroline, who had received a lot of information, no longer felt too melancholy.
After recalling the "Void Cube" and resting for a while, she packed her luggage, picked up the suitcase and the bunch of shriveled spinach, and left the room.
After completing the check-out procedures at the hotel lobby, Caroline took back her deposit, walked out of the hotel, and hailed a private carriage.
After negotiating the price, she got on the bus with her luggage and watched the street scenes of the West District slowly flash by outside the car. The pedestrians on the road were still walking leisurely, and everyone was busy with their own lives.
After nearly an hour, the carriage brought her to the steam train station outside the city.
After paying the fare plus a small tip, Caroline walked into the train station with her luggage and bought a first-class ticket for the nearest train to Backlund.
Without waiting too long, the steam train pulled into the platform with a loud whistle. Caroline walked into the carriage very skillfully, found her seat, and sat down after putting her luggage away.
As Tingen gradually darkened and the sky became increasingly darker and covered by dark clouds from afar, a steam train loaded with passengers started slowly and headed forward without looking back.Chapter 73 RemunerationTitle of the Book: Mystery: Fire and the Fool's Path Author's name: December's Stranding Chapter word count: 3153 words Update time: 2025-05-22 13:24:50
After a four-hour ride, it was already eight o'clock in the evening when the train arrived in Backlund.
What welcomed Caroline back was Backlund's still dark night and choking fog, which made her miss Tingen just now.
Caroline was exhausted both physically and mentally after the long journey. She didn't have much time to do other things. After taking the carriage back to 7 Blythe Street in Cherwood, she threw her suitcase and shoes aside as soon as she entered the door, dragged her heavy steps slowly up to the bedroom on the second floor, threw herself into the bed, closed her eyes and fell asleep.
When Caroline woke up again, it was already early morning of the next day.
Friday, July 6, 9:17 am.
Caroline, wearing a casual dress, sat in a coffee shop in Hillston, comfortably drinking a cup of coffee with a spoonful of condensed milk and two sugar cubes.
She looked at the street scene outside the coffee shop. The weather in Backlund was not good today. Dark clouds covered the sky, blocking out all the sunlight. It looked like it was going to rain, but it didn't. The air was filled with a depressing atmosphere.
That was why there were not many pedestrians on the streets outside today. Perhaps it was because no one liked this kind of weather. Caroline could only see a few occasional public carriages passing by on the road along the designated tracks.
"Luckily I took a shower before going out, otherwise I would have been stuck in this weather all day and would have almost gotten pickled."
Caroline raised her arm and sniffed it. Hmm, it was good. There was only the scent of soap and coffee, no strange smell.
Caroline leisurely picked up the handle of the cup and took a sip of the liquid with rich aroma of milk and coffee beans.
As soon as she put the cup down, she looked outside and saw the figure she was waiting for.
Still wearing a shirt and overalls, carrying a briefcase and with a proud hairstyle, Ovis Wein walked into the coffee shop quickly.
After nodding in a friendly manner to the waiter who was attracted by the doorbell, Ovis went straight to Caroline's table, pulled out a chair and sat down.
"Long time no see, my smart and beautiful client lady."
Ovis put his briefcase aside, smiled, and spoke to Caroline in his signature glib tone.
For some reason, although the words they used were equally bold and unrestrained, to Caroline, Ovis's words sounded more appealing than Lanevus's.
"It hasn't been that long. We agreed on five days."
Caroline glanced at the purse next to Orvis and said.
"Five days! That's a long time. It's a huge challenge for me to endure not being able to see your exquisite face for five days."
Ovis smiled, raised his hand, picked up a sugar cube from the sugar bowl in the middle of the table, and stuffed it directly into his mouth.
"Besides, I originally expected not to see you at today's appointment, but I didn't expect you to come earlier than me, young lady."
Caroline glanced at the sugar bowl and politely handed the tongs used to pick up the sugar cubes to Ovis, saying:
"I didn't want to leave Tingen so early, but the work was done, and Tingen was likely to rain heavily, so I had no choice but to return."
"Oh? That's really not a coincidence."
Ovis sucked the sugar cube in his mouth, bit it with his back molars, raised his left eyebrow, and said:
"Then let me listen to your findings, young lady."
Caroline cleared her throat, and all her memories about Lanevus came to mind. After arranging them in order, she lowered her voice and narrated slowly:
"There are quite a few suspicious people in Tingen. I was planning to collect all their information, but the strange thing is that I met the most suspicious person."
"His name is Lanrvus. He owns a steel company in Tingen. It is said that he has discovered a good iron ore mine in the Hornachis Mountains. He is currently attracting investment and plans to start construction once sufficient funds are available."
Ovis listened and suddenly sneered:
"A very classic investment trap. Anyone who believes in it without the real thing is a curly-haired baboon."
Caroline glanced at Ovis, paused for a moment, and then continued:
"From the perspective of his identity information, he is almost impeccable. He has the mining report of the iron ore, the government approval document, and even a photo with Mayor Tingen..."
"This is not unusual. If I wanted, I could get government approval documents and photos with the mayor. These things cannot be used as evidence."
Caroline curled her lips, tapped the table twice with her fingers, and said in a deep voice:
"Mr. Ovis, I am reporting the commission to you now, not consulting you on investment issues. Can you please stop interrupting me?"
Ovis quickly smiled apologetically and raised his hands in surrender, allowing Caroline to continue.
Caroline glared at him, picked up the cup and took a sip of coffee before continuing:
"These are some of the things that Lanevus did in Tingen. What I am going to talk about next is the identity information he showed me."
"He is about 30 years old, estimated to be 1.76 meters tall, with black hair and brown eyes. There are no special marks on his face, and there is nothing new about his appearance."
"What confirmed to me that he was the fraudster you were looking for was the smile he once showed."
"It's the smile you told me about, the one that seemed to be laughing at everyone."
After listening to Caroline's explanation, Ovis held his chin and thought for a while.
After a long while, he spread out his palms and said to Caroline expressionlessly:
"This information is indeed very close to the image I have of the cunning fraudster."
"But Miss, I need solid evidence, not an unsubstantiated story. Even the people at Silaves Field would only file a case after seeing the scene. They would not dispatch a large number of police forces just because of a few words from the reporter."
Caroline nodded, a smug smile appeared on her lips, and she replied:
"Of course I know that."
As she spoke, she took out the "token" wrapped in layers of oil paper and handkerchief from her pocket.
"Look, I brought back actual evidence, didn't I?"
Ovis said with interest, and leaned forward to watch Caroline slowly open the tightly wrapped thing on the table.
After the last layer of the handkerchief was removed, the ring appeared in front of Ovis.
"This is--!"
Before Caroline could say anything, Ovis himself almost couldn't control the volume and shouted out.
He snatched up the ring and held it up to the gaslight, examining it carefully.
A few seconds later, Ovis held the ring tightly in his palm, and his expression became visibly excited.
He took a few deep breaths, looked at Caroline with joy and excitement that could not be concealed, and said:
"This is indeed sufficient evidence to prove that Lanevus is the fraudster I'm looking for!"
"That damn guy stole this ring from me when I was not paying attention. It was one of the few and most precious assets I had when I started my business. I thought the fraudster would have destroyed it long ago, but I didn't expect him to keep it. He is so shameless."
Caroline hadn't expected that the ring had such a wonderful origin, and she hadn't expected that Ovis would be so excited about it.
However, she did not show any surprise. Instead, she kept smiling, looked at Ovis naturally, and said:
"Don't you want to use this ring to divine first to see if Lanevus is the person you are looking for?"
"No need to go to so much trouble. If all these clues match up, there's no doubt that Lanevus is the liar. It's hard to change human nature."
Looking closely at the ring in his hand, Ovis couldn't help but shake his head and sigh.
Then, he looked up at Caroline and asked curiously:
"How did you get this ring? That guy doesn't give his wealth to others so easily."
Hearing this question, Caroline, who had been quite confident, suddenly became hesitant.
"Well, you know, through some social tricks, using a little bit of lady's expertise... well, that's it."
Ovis was confused by what she said, but after seeing Caroline's attitude, he immediately understood what she meant by "social skills".
"Great Emperor Roselle, are you dating that dirty guy?"
Caroline quickly denied it:
"No! It's just... uh, we had a meal together, that's all. Otherwise, how can I get any clues from him?"
Caroline's defense seemed a little weak, and Ovis looked at her with eyes full of admiration.
He sighed, pouted and shook his head, and couldn't help but make a sincere "awesome" gesture to Caroline.
"You are such a responsible and brave girl. If it were me, I would never go to dinner with that guy. Looking at that smart-ass face, my good mood for the day would be ruined."
"Who said it wasn't..."
Caroline muttered and buried her mouth in the coffee cup, trying to make up for her unhappiness with the fragrant coffee.
Ovis smiled, put the ring away, looked deeply at Caroline, and said:
"Miss, you are able to make such a great sacrifice. I must apologize to you again for some of the little business tricks I used before."
"You have done a great job in completing the commission. Not only did you find the fraudster, but you also retrieved this precious ring for me."
"The most important thing in business is equal dealings. As you know, I have always been a good businessman who is willing to follow this principle."
"Therefore, my brave and sincere client, please accept the payment you deserve."
As he spoke, Ovis reached for the briefcase, hid it under the table and opened it.
Then he took out two things from his bag.
One was a small glass vial containing 20 ml of red retriever blood.
The other one is the other half of the main ingredient of the "Hunter" potion recipe.
That little box contained 20 grams of red retriever brain gray matter.Chapter 74 Magic PotionTitle of the Book: Mystery: Fire and the Fool's Path Author's name: December's Stranding Chapter word count: 3362 words Update time: 2025-05-22 18:26:51
Caroline was shocked when she saw the two extraordinary materials that Ovis took out, because in his words, these materials were considered as rewards, and their contract clearly stated that only blood was given for free, while she had to buy the gray matter at half price.
Looking at Caroline's surprised expression, Ovis smiled and said:
"The blood is the payment we agreed on, and this gray matter... well, it's a token of gratitude. Thank you for unexpectedly helping me retrieve the ring. You can regard it as a token of our friendship."
"Using your gray matter as evidence of friendship doesn't seem like you, who would use all kinds of sweet talk to please girls."
"Oh? So did what I said before make you happy?"
"Thank you, no."
Caroline gave a polite smile to show her refusal, and Ovis shrugged and handed the two materials to her from under the table.
After confirming that Caroline had taken the materials, Ovis withdrew his hand, closed the bag again, and said:
"Then the first phase of the commission is complete. Just like you said, I have to go back and ask someone to divine the current situation of the swindler, and then study how to catch him."
"If you are interested in the second phase of the commission, come to the underground trading market at 1 pm on Sunday and find me. I will be waiting for you there."
Caroline clenched the extraordinary material in her hand and nodded.
"I'll think about it."
...
After obtaining the important materials and drinking the rest of the coffee, Caroline did not linger any longer.
After saying goodbye to Ovis Wein, she called a carriage to take her back to the trading market near the Cherwood District.
After getting off the bus, she quickly went to a nearby "Herbs and Essential Oils" store, where she bought the auxiliary materials needed for the recipe, namely red chestnut flower essential oil and poplar leaves. The remaining basil and red wine were already in stock at home.
After buying the things, Caroline asked for an oil paper bag so that she could put the two main ingredients in it without the trouble of carrying them on her body.
Caroline walked slowly back to Blythe Street. She hadn't even entered the house yet and only then discovered that there was a letter stuffed in the mailbox at her door.
She came back too late yesterday and was not careful when she went out this morning, so she only noticed now that she had a letter to pick up.
This made Caroline very curious. Who could have written the letter to her?
If she is a friend or someone related to the original body, then it would be a bit difficult to deal with. After all, she only inherited part of the memory, and her personality is also different from the original body.
Holding the oil paper bag in one hand, Caroline took the letter out of the mailbox.
Turning to the front, she saw a few lines of beautiful handwriting with the sender's name.
"Audrey Hall"
"Oh? It's the distinguished eldest daughter of Earl Hall's family."
Although they only met once, Caroline still had a very deep impression of Audrey.
Why did she suddenly write to me?
With this question in mind, Caroline walked into the house and put the oil paper bag containing the extraordinary materials on the dining table. She simply pulled out a chair, opened the letter in the dining room, and read the contents of the letter.
The basic content of the letter was very simple. Audrey wrote in it that she had been thinking about Caroline's experience since they parted that day, and wanted to help her solve the problem, but was worried that this would be too abrupt, so she wrote to ask Caroline what she thought.
Even Caroline herself did not expect that Audrey would care so much about her affairs, but in fact, it is understandable if you think about it. The indignation she showed that day could not be ignored by just temporary obstruction.
Just as Caroline was sighing and wanted to write a reply to Audrey immediately, she suddenly found a few lines of strangely shaped text inside the envelope.
Caroline was very familiar with the key-like cipher, which was the Hermes script often used in the extraordinary world.
Audrey also wrote an encrypted letter?
This is a bit interesting...
Caroline quickly opened the envelope completely, spread it out on the table and began to translate carefully:
"Dear Caroline, I think if you want to escape from your family's arrangements, you can try to become an extraordinary person and use your own power to stay away from these disturbances."
"I have a recipe for a potion called 'Audience'. If you are interested in it, I can give it to you."
"Of course, perhaps the situation you are facing may not be suitable for a gentle sequence path like 'audience', which is okay. I have a good, secret connection with extraordinary gatherings. If you are willing, you can write back to me and I can help you find other, more combat-effective extraordinary paths."
I was moved to tears. Miss Audrey was so thoughtful and was considering using extraordinary powers to help her solve the problem.
Caroline was indeed very touched. Not to mention the value of a potion formula itself, the mere fact that it provided a stable way for extraordinary people to gather was of immeasurable value.
Seeing this, Caroline suddenly recalled the "report" she had seen before.
"That extraordinary gathering that Audrey mentioned, could it be that it was organized by that 'Fool'..."
She remembered that Audrey's code name in the "report" was "Justice". Wow, this is really a code name that suits her.
However, I didn't expect that the "Fool" party would actually be useful. Audrey's formula was probably obtained from there, and from what she said, it seemed that she could get more information about potions from other sources at that party.
This was no ordinary extraordinary gathering, it was far more magical and amazing than Caroline had imagined.
It seems that The Fool is indeed worthy of her taking the initiative to contact him. After all, the other party already knows of her existence. If she just avoids him, it doesn't seem to make much sense.
Thinking about this, Caroline went up to the attic carrying the letters and extraordinary materials.
After turning on the light in the attic, she came to the desk, took out a brand new piece of letter paper, picked up a pen, and began to write a reply to Audrey:
"Dear Miss Audrey, please forgive me for replying to you only now. I just returned from Tingen and arrived in Backlund last night..."
After writing a normal reply in Loenese on the letter paper, Caroline found an envelope and took great pains to write a secret letter from a tricky angle:
"Thank you for caring about me so much. I already have a way to become a Beyonder. The starting sequence of this path is called 'Hunter'. I think it is very suitable for me."
"Regarding information and clues about Feifan, if you wish, we can continue to communicate. I will try my best to repay your concern with valuable information."
After writing both the cover and the inside of the letter, Caroline stuffed the letter paper into the envelope and put it aside, preparing to mail it later.
After all, she has more important things to do now.
...
After spending some time going up and down the stairs, Caroline sat cross-legged on the attic floor and placed the ingredients for the potion in order in front of her.
The first thing she took out was the red hound's blood and gray matter as the main ingredients.
Ovis had already adjusted the weights for himself, 20 ml each and 15 grams each, clearly marked on the glass bottles and boxes.
Then, there was the red wine and basil she had just gotten from the kitchen, as well as the red chestnut flower essential oil and poplar leaves she had bought on the way home.
These are the auxiliary materials for the potion. According to what was written in the notebook left by the original body, the knowledge about preparing potions says that the main materials are very important, and the specified content and quality cannot have any mistakes. However, the auxiliary materials are not so rigorous, and adding more or less will not affect the final result.
In front of these materials were the tools Caroline had just found in the attic, which were used by her original self to mix potions.
Crucible, beaker, dropper, measuring cup, test tube, grinding cup, balance scale... it's like a small chemistry experiment class.
Caroline had just cleaned them all and wiped away all the water stains inside. Now, they were quietly placed on the floor, waiting to fulfill their mission.
If only these things were found, outsiders would probably just think that Caroline liked to do some small chemistry experiments at home. Conspiracy theorists might think that she was studying "cooking", but few people would realize that she was trying to mix a potion to become a Beyonder.
"I really look like I'm cooking right now... Should I get a gas mask and wear it?"
Caroline joked to herself, then smiled and shook her head, taking a few deep breaths to calm her pounding heart.
Then, she began to add materials into the crucible according to her remaining memories and the description of the potion recipe.
First, there were the auxiliary materials. Due to their low importance, all the actions Caroline added seemed relatively random.
80 ml of red wine, ten drops of red chestnut essential oil, 10 grams of basil, and 5 grams of powdered poplar leaves.
After all these things were added into the crucible, what Caroline saw was a pot of strange-looking "wastewater" with all kinds of inexplicable particles floating in it.
Obviously, this pot of stuff is not eatable at all. It now looks like a pot of spiced water that was randomly made, giving off a strange smell.
And what Caroline is going to add next is the real top priority.
"20 ml of red hound blood..."
Caroline murmured, uncorking the bottle.
An unconcealable smell of blood entered her nostrils. She suppressed the discomfort and poured exactly 20 milliliters of blood into the crucible.
After the blood was added, the liquid in the pot quickly began to undergo miraculous changes.
Before too much change could take place, Caroline immediately placed the gray matter in the crucible as well.
The two extraordinary materials came into contact in the pot. The liquid, which was already a little uneasy, began to rise and fall violently like boiling water, shaking like the sea in a storm, and seemed about to explode from the pot at any time, splashing all around.
But everything is just a little bit off. The extraordinary material only reacts violently in the crucible and will not jump out no matter what. It is as if there is a magical, invisible force pulling their shapes together, making them entangled and fused with each other.
Slowly, all the materials that had gathered together lost their tangible shapes and dissolved into the liquid. The reaction in the pot also finally calmed down as its state stabilized.
Caroline, who was waiting on the side, looked over and saw a pool of blood-red liquid at the bottom of the crucible, which looked like some kind of modern pigmented drink.
This is her "Hunter" potion.Chapter 75 The FoolTitle of the Book: Mystery: Fire and the Fool's Path Author's name: December's Stranding Chapter word count: 3170 words Update time: 2025-05-23 13:26:30
"Is this the potion?"
Caroline transferred the blood-red liquid synthesized in the crucible into the beaker and curiously observed the inside of the potion through the transparent wall of the cup.
The specific principle is simply incomprehensible. There is no trace of any other materials inside the potion now. The original basil and poplar leaf powder, blood and brain gray matter have all disappeared and dissolved into this pool of strange liquid.
She sniffed and fanned her hand to smell it, and found that there was indeed a strong smell of blood, but it was not as strong as the red hound's blood at the beginning. Instead, it was mixed with a faint fragrance.
"Is this really drinkable..."
Caroline picked up the beaker and looked around. Something of this color was really unpalatable. She even subconsciously recalled the taste of the Red Scream she had tried before.
But there was nothing wrong with the recipe for the potion, and the ingredients were all normal, so according to common sense, there should be no problem with the potion - although potions and extraordinary existence themselves were not in line with common sense.
"Come on, it's already this late. Isn't this what we went to Tingen for..."
Caroline took a deep breath and encouraged herself.
Then she tilted her head back, brought the beaker to her mouth, and drank all the potion in it in one gulp.
As soon as she drank it, Caroline felt as if she had drunk a cup of diluted duck blood with syrup and MSG.
Then, the pool of liquid slid into her throat completely out of control, passed through her esophagus, and directly into her stomach.
Then, Caroline clearly felt a burning sensation in her stomach, just like taking a sip of highly distilled liquor, or like drinking a ball of physical fire, which formed waves of heat that could not be ignored. The heat was entering deep into her body and breaking into every gap between her cells.
What followed was a tingling, numbness and soreness that spread from all parts of the body.
If I were to describe this feeling, it would probably be like having your legs numbed by pressure while sleeping at night, and then amplifying that granular numbness several times.
Caroline was shaken by the stinging pain. She lowered her head, held her breath, stared, and twisted her facial muscles. Caroline tried her best to resist the movements throughout her body and forced herself to control the pain.
Gradually, she felt a bloody smell spreading from her throat. When she opened her mouth and exhaled, Caroline saw the blood vessels on the back of her hand bulging, and the blue and red lines were clearly visible, crisscrossing her hand.
Take a deep breath, hold on, it's like a root canal, no big deal…!
Caroline kept encouraging herself in her heart. She wasn't sure if everyone who drank the potion would have such a strong reaction, but she knew clearly that if she couldn't get through this stage, there would be unimaginable consequences.
With Caroline's persistence, the tingling pain all over her body finally began to slowly disappear, and the burning sensation in her stomach also began to slowly fade away.
But at this moment, suddenly, an indistinguishable and extremely chaotic noise burst out in Caroline's ears.
The spirit that she had just maintained suddenly became shaky. She raised her tired eyelids, and unexpectedly, red spots like snowflakes appeared in front of her eyes.
These spots kept flickering and turbulent, vaguely forming a weird and strange picture.
While her consciousness was blurred, Caroline could only see about three figures appearing in the snow-like spots. She couldn't see their shapes or appearance clearly.
At the same time, the chaotic sounds in Caroline's ears became more intense.
This kind of pain was even more intense than before. It was like they had turned into extremely thin and sharp steel needles, piercing into her brain mercilessly and stirring vigorously inside.
Under the unbearable pain, Caroline's body curled up into a ball and fell to the attic floor.
Faintly, she could hear the voices beside her ears as if they were calling someone, reciting names.
Inspired by these voices, Caroline almost subconsciously wanted to resist the invasion of these voices in the same way.
"Silver Spoon"... Can I use the "Silver Spoon" and chant the name of Yog-Sothoth to resist?
However, she had just taken out the "Silver Spoon" and placed it on the desk...
No, it's okay, there is another way…
So, she followed her instinct, like a drowning person grabbing a piece of driftwood, and grabbed the most recent thought in her memory, and slowly recited it with trembling lips:
"Fusheng Xuanhuang Immortal Lord..."
"Fusheng Xuanhuang Tianjun..."
"The God of Fusheng Xuanhuang..."
"Fusheng Xuanhuang Tianzun..."
...
During lunch break, inside the Blackthorn Security Company.
The heavy rain outside was still hitting Tingen violently. Klein, who was sitting in the reception hall, put down the book he was almost finished reading and glanced out the window.
I don't know when the rain will stop...
He had an inexplicable premonition that this rainstorm would not be a good thing for Tingen.
Rain will cover up clues and wash away the footprints left by crimes, just like what was written in the detective investigation notes he had just read. For the police and detectives, the last thing they want to encounter is a rainy day.
"Klein, what are you looking at?"
Roshan's call from the reception hall brought Klein back to his distracted state. He turned to look at the man in front of him, smiled and shook his head, and said:
"I'm just lamenting that today's heavy rain is so unfortunate."
Hearing Klein say this, Roshan also put down the newspaper in her hand, rested her head on her arms, and sighed:
"Yes, because of the rain, the lunch at Old Weir's Restaurant will not seem as delicious as usual."
This, this doesn't seem to have any effect, Luo Shan, it's probably just that your appetite is not good...
Klein smiled helplessly and turned around. The uneasy premonition in his heart was getting stronger and stronger.
As a fortune teller, he instinctively attaches importance to this omen.
"I'm going to the bathroom."
Klein said as he stood up from the sofa and walked into the inner corridor of the security company.
After passing the partition and walking a little further, Klein flashed into the bathroom.
After locking the door from the inside, Klein walked back four steps skillfully and arrived above the gray fog.
He was not sure whether the environment inside the Blackthorn Security Company would affect his divination, but for this premonition from his heart, he thought it would be best to do divination in an environment above the gray fog where there would be least interference.
Sitting in a high-back chair, Klein held the pendulum he had requested. He closed his eyes and concentrated, repeating the same thought in his mind:
"The insecurity I feel has to do with Riel Bieber..."
After repeating this several times, Klein opened his eyes and saw the pendulum in his hand slowly rotating clockwise.
There is a connection, but not much...
Klein pondered for a moment, thinking about how to ask, and then he continued:
"The uneasiness I feel will bring disaster to Tingen..."
This time, before Klein opened his eyes, he could feel the tugging sensation caused by the rapid rotation of the pendulum in his hand.
Sure enough, when he opened his eyes, he saw the pendulum spinning rapidly in a clockwise direction.
A crisis that will bring disaster to Tingen, and it is related to Riel Bieber...
Klein put away his pendulum and frowned as he thought.
What could be so serious that it could involve the entire Tingen...
This is not a good sign. Perhaps I should tell the captain about this discovery and ask him to be more vigilant recently...
After deciding on this idea, Klein planned to leave the gray fog and return to the security company.
But just before he was about to leave, he noticed that a deep red star in the background in front of him suddenly began to glow violently.
It was that familiar star again, the star that represented another time traveler.
Is this another luck-changing ceremony? I didn't expect the chance to meet him would come so soon...
Klein thought about it, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly, and then he extended his spirituality over there.
However, he did not expect that when he saw the scene clearly under the crimson star, he found that the time traveler was lying on the ground, struggling in extreme pain.
What's going on?!
Klein panicked all of a sudden. This fellow time traveler looked like he was about to get into trouble.
His attention was quickly drawn to the chemical experiment containers around the other party. After looking at the strange empty vessels, Klein instantly understood what the other party had just done.
Is this something that happened because of drinking the potion?
Oh my fellow countryman, why are you so reckless? You can't just drink potions casually!
Klein didn't know what solution he could come up with. In a desperate situation, he had no choice but to try his luck. With a thought, he let the gray fog cover the crimson star.
...
Caroline lay on her side on the ground, gasping for breath. She felt as if she was about to die, yet as if she would not die so soon.
The burning sensation in my stomach had long since disappeared, and the tingling in my body had calmed down.
But the crazy voice that surrounded her ears and constantly invaded her spirit, her brain, and her consciousness was still unyielding, and it grew stronger with every breath she took.
Caroline didn't know what was going on. She was like a receiver on an open channel. Everything she should and shouldn't hear came flooding in like a flood, trying to completely destroy her consciousness.
Just as she was struggling to crawl to the desk, retrieve the "Silver Key" and try a new way to save herself.
Suddenly, Caroline's side suddenly became quiet.
Those crazy mutterings, those nameless hallucinations, all echoed in her ears and disappeared from her sight.
She slowly opened her weak eyes, only to find that the scene before her had changed from her own attic to an endless gray fog.
"here it is..."
Caroline turned her head blankly and looked back, only to see a male figure with his face covered by gray fog and dressed in a black suit, sitting on a high-backed chair, quietly looking down at her.