SWNOVELXO Chapter 22: 22
Chapter 107 Cooperation (Continue to cheer for the college entrance examination)Title of the Book: Mystery: Fire and the Fool's Path Author's name: December's Stranding Chapter word count: 3227 words Update time: 2025-06-06 18:00:00
Klein took out his pocket watch and took a look at it. After a brief thought, he said:
"Let's go to your place. It's almost evening now. My sister will be home soon. It's not convenient for me to be there."
"You have a sister?"
Caroline was curious at first, but she soon remembered the girl she had met once before.
"Oh my god, Melissa is your sister? I remember now, she has the same last name as you."
Klein smiled and nodded:
"Yes, in fact, Melissa shared this with us after she came home, and that was when I first heard your name...Caroline Williams."
"This is really... such a coincidence."
"There are so many coincidences."
Klein held the coffee cup, his expression slightly more serious, and counted the details to Caroline.
"Did you go to the Dragon Bar the day before yesterday and meet a wanted Beyonder there?"
"That's the guy we're chasing now. He's the 'instigator' of Sequence 8. His name is Tris."
"After you left, Old Neil and I went to the Dragon Bar."
"Also, your previous investigation into Reel Bieber happened to reach us through Old Neil."
"Think about the fact that you happened to meet Melissa and happened to go to the Divination Club. Think about it, how many coincidences are there?"
Caroline's heart began to hang in the air as Klein told her story. She had already sensed a certain sense of coincidence through the "report" before. Now, from Klein's perspective, this feeling rose to an incredible level.
So she sat up a little and asked seriously:
"You are a fortune teller, so you are more sensitive to this kind of thing. Do you think there are extraordinary factors involved?"
"I think there is such a possibility, but I can't guess what it is at the moment. In fact, I have already divined these coincidences to see if there are any extraordinary factors affecting them, but the result is..."
"That didn't turn out well, did it?"
Caroline had already guessed what Klein would say next. She put forward her own opinion:
"Either these coincidences are really just coincidences, or the factors that create these coincidences..."
"It's much higher than your current level."
Klein sighed and drank some coffee.
"I do think so, so I have been researching and investigating it recently."
"Well, I'm going to ask you, you must have traveled to Backlund, right? Why did you suddenly come to Tingen?"
"What are we talking about, whether it's presumptuous or not?"
Caroline waved her hand and told Klein her story frankly.
"I accepted a commission to find a swindler in Tingen in exchange for the potion materials I need. I confirmed the identity of the swindler last week, and then went back to Backlund, got the materials and became a 'hunter'. This time I came again to cooperate with my client to catch the swindler. In this way, I can get the Sequence 8 potion formula from him."
"Oh, yes, you did become a 'hunter' last week... But, are you here in Tingen to look for a scammer?"
Klein was thinking. Seeing him deep in thought, Caroline kindly said,
"That fraudster also has a steel company here. I heard he has swindled a lot of investment."
As soon as Caroline said this, Klein's thoughts immediately trembled as if they were pricked by a needle.
"Steel Company? The fraudster you're talking about isn't called Lanevus, is he?"
"Hey, it's really him. What's wrong? Did he also cheat you out of money? "
Klein shook his head and denied:
"No, no, I don't have the money to invest."
"Mr. Glacis from our divination club is the one who did the divination for you yesterday. He wants to invest in Lanevus, so he came to ask me about the reliability of this deal."
Caroline took a deep breath and said:
"Then his money is in danger..."
"Mr. Glacis didn't tell me about the follow-up, but I think he has already invested."
"This is a mess! Lanevus might run away at any time. I'm keeping an eye on him and can only confirm that he won't leave in the near future."
"Hmm... How does your client plan to catch Lanevus? Why not just call the police and let them arrest him?"
"Alas, my client seems to be planning to lynch Lanevs. He said that this would help him recover the stolen money. If Lanevs falls into the hands of the police, it would be difficult for him to operate."
"Your client is also a ruthless character..."
Klein took a sip of coffee to calm himself down a little. After putting down the cup, he saw Caroline looking at him awkwardly and hesitantly.
"What's wrong?"
Klein asked with concern.
"Well, I was thinking, aren't you an official Beyonder now? Lanevus is said to be a Sequence 8 Beyonder. I'm a little worried that after listening to me, you might take the Nighthawks to capture Lanevus for Tingen's safety..."
Caroline looked away embarrassedly. She felt that her words were like persuading a police friend not to catch criminals.
Klein blinked and laughed out loud:
"I thought something was going on."
"Yes, I do have this idea. But since you already have a way to deal with Lanevus, I can hold off on reporting it for now."
"But you'd better move faster. Otherwise, if you let Lanevus get away, I will feel sorry for Mr. Glacis."
Caroline quickly raised her hand and assured:
"No, no, I will definitely capture Lanevus as soon as possible."
In fact, Caroline herself did not have the confidence to say this, because the reliable person that Ovis Wein mentioned had not yet shown any signs of arriving in Tingen.
...
The two finished talking about Lanevus, and Klein's coffee was finally finished.
Caroline called the waiter and helped Klein pay the bill before leaving the cafe.
"I didn't expect a cup of coffee would cost 8 pence... Is this the price of a high-end cafe..."
Klein walked beside Caroline, recalling the taste of the cup of coffee he had just drunk, which he did not find to be that precious.
"It's actually not that bad. The cafe in Backlund is much more expensive than this one."
Caroline said as she glanced at the street a few times, then pulled Klein towards a parked private carriage.
"Well? You don't take the stagecoach?"
"Why take a stagecoach? Wouldn't a private carriage be faster?"
"this..."
Klein's facial muscles twitched, and he just stood there looking at Caroline.
Caroline looked back in confusion. After looking up and down at Klein's cheap suit, she suddenly realized something and pounded her left hand with her right fist.
"Are you short of money?"
"Oh, you should have said it earlier. I have money now!"
As she spoke, Caroline reached into her pocket, looking as if she wanted to take out something extraordinary.
Seeing this, Klein quickly stopped Caroline's actions and held down her arm.
"Don't spend money recklessly. I just have the habit of saving money. In fact, my weekly salary is already 4.5 pounds, and I can live a good life in Tingen."
"4.5 pounds a week? Oh, that's the salary of a night watchman, right? Hmm... it does look pretty good..."
Klein noticed that Caroline seemed to lack some understanding of the concept of money. In his memory, Caroline was not very rich when she was still Gu Yi. Was it because of this change after she came to this world?
"Um, let me ask, do you have a job now?"
"No, I'm still a student at Backlund University."
"So your money...is it pocket money given by your parents?"
"My parents are both dead, and now I only have a cheap uncle who gives me pocket money every month, which is paid out of my inheritance."
"How much a month?"
"It was 1,500 pounds before, now it's 1,000 pounds."
"1,500 pounds..."
Caroline saw Klein standing still, not knowing what was going on. She seemed to hear the sound of something breaking.
...
Caroline finally followed Crane's advice and took the stagecoach.
The two got on the bus from Halls Street and got off at Zouteland Street.
After getting off the public carriage, Klein looked in one direction and said to Caroline in surprise:
"I didn't expect you also live on Zouteland Street..."
"Because the security and environment here are pretty good... Why, you live here too?"
"No, I live in Daffodil Street. It's just that..."
Klein pointed to a building in the distance and said in a very low voice:
"The headquarters of the Nighthawks is on Zouteland Street. Well, since you're nearby, you'd better be careful. It would be bad if you get discovered."
Caroline didn't expect that she would be so close to the Night Watchers. Thinking about her previous actions, Caroline was sure that she had not behaved excessively near Zouteland Street.
After earnestly assuring Klein, Caroline took Klein to the hotel where she was staying.
After walking up the stairs to the floor where the room was, Caroline took out the key and opened the door. Klein followed her into the room.
Caroline breathed a sigh of relief and tugged at her collar, unbuttoning a button to cool herself down.
She walked to the window, pulled up the curtains, turned around and said to Klein who was locking the door:
"Will you go first or should I?"
"Why do you sound so strange..."
Klein looked at Caroline speechlessly. Caroline was surprised for a moment, but after looking down at herself, she immediately screamed in shock:
"Damn it, Lao Zhou, what are you thinking about, you thick-browed, big-eyed guy!"
"Although I am a woman physically now, I am still a man at heart! Are you thinking that your Sichuan and Chongqing genes are starting to take effect?"
"Stereotypes are not encouraged at all. My sexual orientation is normal... No, in this case, it seems that having a normal sexual orientation is also problematic!"
Klein rubbed his temples with a headache, but strangely, this kind of communication made him feel much more relaxed.
Seeing the smile on Caroline's face, who was also just joking, Klein took off his hat, thought for a moment, and said to her:
"Why don't you come first?"Chapter 108 Golden Finger (Prepare for the College Entrance Examination)Title of the Book: Mystery: Fire and the Fool's Path Author's name: December's Stranding Chapter word count: 3193 words Update time: 2025-06-07 13:00:00
"Then I'll go first."
Caroline put away her smile and raised her hand to pull up the necklace around her neck.
The pendant at the bottom of the necklace is connected to the "Silver Key".
Klein's eyes slightly opened. He obviously still had an impression of this thing.
"I remember this thing is…"
Caroline glanced at Klein and curled the corners of her mouth.
"Yes, the key I bought at the street stall actually works. Isn't it amazing?"
As she spoke, Caroline concentrated her attention and silently recited in Chinese:
"The omniscient and omnipotent God, the king of the endless void, the one to whom all things return to one..."
A three-part description? Is this a spell directed to God?
Klein had previously studied the three-part description in order to create a spell that could target The Fool. Therefore, when Caroline read out the name of Yog-Sothoth, he was immediately alert.
But before Klein could say anything, he saw an invisible silver-gray illusory cube suddenly appear in Caroline's hand.
"This is my golden finger."
Caroline said this and turned towards Klein so that he could see the Void Cube clearly.
"Those three spells sound familiar, right? As I said before, they represent the honorific name of Yog Bubble."
"But it seems that there is no god in this world that fits this three-part description. I have read it many times, and it has never attracted the attention of any strange creatures."
"I think this three-part description may just be the code used to summon the 'Void Cube'."
Listening to Caroline's explanation, Klein raised his hand and pinched his chin, thinking:
"Using a spell similar to that describing a god as a code... It seems that our luck-changing ritual is also like this..."
Caroline nodded, and then, with a thought, she controlled the "Void Cube" to begin unfolding.
This time, she consciously expanded the range of the "Void Cube" a little bit to include Klein within the range.
This was her first time trying to include other people in the solid space, so she wasn't sure if she could succeed.
As his thoughts flowed, the "Void Cube" expanded rapidly, then quickly shrank, pulling the two people in the room into the gray solid space.
Caroline paid attention to Klein's condition. She heaved a sigh of relief when she saw that Klein had also entered the solid space without any "rejection reaction."
Klein observed with curiosity the appearance of this other "Golden Finger" who was different from him.
He quickly caught a glimpse of a glowing object out of the corner of his eye. Turning his head, he saw piles of "reports" piled up in front of Caroline.
"I haven't checked for a while and there are already so many..."
Caroline sighed and picked up a "report" and glanced at it.
She slowly raised a smile, looked at Klein, and handed him the "report" in her hand.
"See, this is how I get your information."
Klein took the "report" and looked at the text nervously.
"Nightwatchers" in action
"Maintaining Tingen's security is not just the responsibility of the police department. As an official extraordinary team, the "Nightwatchers" are responsible for hiding the extraordinary and preventing extraordinary factors from affecting ordinary people."
"With the arrival of Sealed Artifact 2-049 in Tingen, the long-awaited mission of the Nighthawks to hunt down Riel Biber can finally make some progress."
"This, this is too outrageous!"
Klein browsed the contents of the "report" in shock. He could never have imagined that without his knowledge, everything they did was recorded and turned into something like a news report.
The content of the "report" almost completely recorded the entire process of their capture of Rel Bieber, including how they found Rel Bieber, how they dealt with the monster Bieber, and even the attack from the secret society members, as well as their own counterattack against the clown.
Klein couldn't help feeling insecure as if his privacy had been completely snooped into. He only calmed down a little after hearing Caroline say that "reports" usually only recorded major local events and things that were closely related to her.
"Your golden finger is really amazing. With this ability, you can completely gain insight into major events in the entire city without leaving your home..."
If you rely on this thing to collect information, you will be invincible!
Klein sighed, his eyes also moved to the last sentence of the "report".
——"This may just be the beginning."
Is killing Riel Bieber just the beginning?
What does this mean? Does it mean that the events of the Antigonus family notes are far from over?
As doubts grew in his heart, Klein carefully handed the "report" back to Caroline.
...
After showing Klein the basic functions of the Void Cube, Caroline finished unfolding it and put the cube away again.
Then, it was Klein's turn to show off.
"I feel like we're performing a talent show..."
Klein suddenly had a sense of déjà vu and joked with Caroline.
"It's a pity that there are no judges to give us scores."
Caroline responded teasingly.
Klein chuckled a few times, adjusted his spirit, and began to walk four steps backwards in the room.
This was the first time Caroline saw someone else perform a luck-changing ritual. In her eyes, Klein was already quite skilled at taking four steps backwards and chanting the spell.
How many times has Lao Zhou performed similar activities by pretending to be "The Fool"?
Caroline couldn't help but think so, and at the same time, Klein took the last step.
His body just stopped there, as if he had lost his soul, and his eyes had lost their luster. He stood on the ground woodenly, like a puppet.
"Is it only the human soul and consciousness that enter the gray fog..."
Just as Caroline was looking at Klein's body that remained in reality, suddenly, a crimson gushed out in front of her eyes.
The scene changed, and when she came to her senses, she was already sitting in front of the familiar long bronze table.
Caroline quickly looked towards the head of the long table, where Klein, who appeared as The Fool, was sitting.
This time, however, his face was no longer covered by a large amount of gray fog. With a little effort, Caroline could barely recognize Klein's face.
I should be the first person to see the true face of The Fool...
Caroline's thoughts turned, and she suddenly thought of something interesting, so she stood up from her chair and bowed respectfully to the head of the long table:
"Good afternoon, Mr. Fool."
Klein, who had just adjusted his posture, was choked by Caroline's words. He coughed awkwardly a few times, cast his eyes at Caroline, and said half complaining, half spitting:
"Please don't do this. The building above the gray fog is already magnificent. I don't want to awkwardly carve out a three-bedroom, one-living-room house."
"This is to maintain your mysterious image! Above the gray fog, you are the Fool and I am the Chariot."
Caroline smiled and winked at Crane. She seemed to have discovered a pleasure that she would enjoy often in the future.
After joking, Caroline began to look at the scenery above the gray fog with ease.
Due to nervousness during the previous times, she didn't dare to watch too much for fear of violating some taboos.
But now, she no longer needs to worry about anything.
"The big scene has to be your gray fog. With this image, anyone who sees it will feel dizzy..."
Caroline exclaimed, her eyes flicking towards the crimson stars in the background.
"Are Justice and the Hanged Man among those stars?"
Klein nodded slightly and replied:
"It seems that each crimson star represents an existence that can be connected to this gray fog. However, it seems that the first response requires the other party to actively call out the relevant spell or do something."
"Like the luck-changing ritual, and the three-part description you created?"
Klein nodded, indicating that he had an answer.
There was silence above the gray fog for a while. Klein quietly watched Caroline survey her surroundings.
Looking at her curious expression, Klein, who was sitting at the top, inexplicably felt a sense of ease and tranquility that he had not experienced in a long time since he came to this world.
It was a feeling of a long-pressed heaviness being released all at once, like the pleasure of finally being able to tell a secret that had been hidden for many days.
The corners of Klein's mouth curled up slightly, and he habitually tapped the edge of the long table with his fingers.
Caroline immediately turned around and looked at Klein in confusion.
Klein's fingers paused. He suddenly realized that he was not holding a tarot club and there was no need to appear so serious.
He cleared his throat awkwardly and asked Caroline:
"Gu Yi, what are you going to do next in Tingen?"
"It feels weird when you call me by my full name..."
Caroline muttered something, then answered.
"Let's continue to monitor Lanevus, and then play the role of 'Hunter' here. Didn't you teach us how to play the role last time?"
"Playing as a hunter? In Tingen?"
"Yes, I am a bounty hunter now. This is the best way I can think of to act. Aren't you also playing the role of a fortune teller in the fortune telling club?"
Klein nodded, thinking about the feasibility of this role-playing, and said:
"My understanding of the role-playing method comes from the emperor's diary and the research during this period. Since I am not sure whether this is right or not, I only talked about the theory at the Tarot Club without giving too many specific details."
"However, it is definitely correct to use the 'name of the potion' as the core of the role play. Especially when you have a deeper understanding of the meaning of the 'name of the potion' through role play, the process of digestion will be significantly accelerated."
"Do you have a deeper understanding of the meaning of the 'potion name'?..."
Caroline repeated Klein's words several times, nodded, and said thankfully.
"I understand. Next, I will try to practice acting as much as possible."
Then, she took another look at Klein, who was sitting at the head of the long table. She felt a little emotional and lowered her head and said softly:
"Ah, it's really different. With the help of my companions, it seems that everything is starting to get better."
Klein was slightly stunned, then responded with a smile:
"Yeah, that's great."Chapter 109: Hunting in Tingen (Welcome back from the College Entrance Examination)Title of the Book: Mystery: Fire and the Fool's Path Author's name: December's Stranding Chapter word count: 3453 words Update time: 2025-06-07 18:00:00
Caroline and Klein's connection ended perfectly in ease and happiness.
She had originally wanted to go to a restaurant with Klein to have a meal and celebrate their reunion in this world. But Klein said he had to go home to buy groceries and cook, so Caroline had to give up, thinking that there would be plenty of opportunities to get together with Klein in the future.
After seeing Klein off, Caroline was left alone in the hotel room.
After closing the door and looking back at the empty room again, Caroline no longer felt lonely.
She still hasn't recovered from the shock, and her mind is still replaying the scene when Klein found her.
"What a pleasant surprise! I didn't expect that Lao Zhou would actually travel through time..."
Caroline paced back and forth in the room. The excitement in her heart that had not yet subsided made it impossible for her to sit down and rest properly. It was like when she checked her college entrance examination scores and saw a number that exceeded her expectations.
"Old Zhou became a Beyonder earlier than me. It turns out that having official channels is different..."
"Hey, I can't hold Old Zhou back like this. I have to finish my role as soon as possible..."
"Well, but to what extent should I act so that the potion can be truly digested? This is a problem..."
"Oh, never mind. Just keep acting. Old Zhou has the Tarot Club. Sooner or later he will be able to gather relevant clues from Audrey and the Hanged Man."
After walking back and forth several times, Caroline finally stood in the middle of the room.
"However, we have to be wary of the coincidences that Lao Zhou mentioned..."
"Is someone plotting against him? Or against me? Or against the entire Tingen?"
"I have to collect some information from the 'report'..."
Thinking of this, Caroline unfolded the "Void Cube" again and picked up the "report" that she had not picked up to read just now in the solid space.
"When we meet again"
"The threads of fate intersected at Tingen, and the long-parted souls were reunited again!"
"All kinds of coincidences, all kinds of strangeness, many days of passing by each other, many days of not knowing each other finally came to an end at this moment."
"The person who caused all this to happen might not have thought that the story he wanted might lead to new and unexpected phenomena."
"Fools and fire, stupidity and destruction, this may be the beginning of a new story for this university city."
"No matter what, all great things always need a surprising beginning. Whether this surprise is good or bad, happy or sad, depends on how it ends."
"We are witnessing a joke of fate, but it may not be just fate that will laugh at this moment."
——"The bells are ringing, celebrating the reunion!"
"The person who caused all this to happen...?"
Caroline's brows slowly furrowed. Klein's intuition was correct. There was indeed someone secretly manipulating everything in Tingen.
She didn't show this "report" to Klein just now because she was worried that if Klein confirmed this fact and took some action, it would attract the hands of the person behind the scenes.
Although Klein was an official Beyonder, he was always alone. But she was different. There were always Albert's sentries around her. These were her constraints, but also the insurance of her life.
Caroline planned to investigate the situation herself. After all, according to the "report", it wasn't just Klein who was tricked by the story, she was also involved.
This was a kind of control experiment. If she didn't end up getting into any trouble, she would tell Klein about it.
"The sentries should have been paying attention to my actions. They probably saw what happened between me and Lao Zhou..."
"Hehe, if Albert knew that I brought Lao Zhou into the room, what would his reaction be?"
"Well, I need to prepare a plan in advance to deal with his possible questions to me in the future..."
After finding some joy in the midst of misery, Caroline threw aside the "report" and concentrated on reading the "reports" that had accumulated in recent days.
As I read this, I saw the night coming.
...
9pm, Dragon Bar, Docklands.
Io Bronson ordered a glass of Southwell beer and sat in the corner of the bar, killing time boredly.
After reaching the commission agreement, Io used the good reputation that their Agna Gang had accumulated in the dock area and collected information from many residents about the recent petty thefts near the dock area.
Afterwards, Io used the gang's underground channels to learn about some thieves and pickpockets.
After collecting all this, Io planned to give the information to Caroline. But unfortunately, Io didn't know how to contact her, so he could only wait in the Dragon Bar every night.
"Ms. Xilia's whereabouts are really elusive... Perhaps a bounty hunter of her level has a lot of commissions, so it's normal that she doesn't have time to come to the bar..."
Io thought casually and took a sip of beer.
He didn't care that Caroline would take on other people's commissions after accepting their commissions. After all, having been in the dock area and underground gangs for many years, Io naturally knew how difficult it was to survive.
As long as Caroline can abide by the agreement and help them investigate the financial situation of the factory owner Frensen, it will be fine.
Just as Io was about to check the time, the door of the bar was pushed open with a ding. He looked up at the door and saw the familiar man in brown hunter clothes leisurely walking into the bar.
"Ms. Xilia!"
Io was delighted and quickly stood up slightly. His action immediately caught Caroline's attention.
In order to explore the pattern of "coincidence", Caroline just came to the bar to take a look, but she didn't expect to meet Io Bronson here.
Could this be a coincidence?
Thinking of this, Caroline walked to Io's desk, pulled out a chair and sat down.
"What a coincidence, Mr. Io."
"Don't call me sir, it sounds weird."
Io waved his hand and spoke carelessly.
"Then don't call me Miss, just call me by my name."
Caroline responded with a smile.
"Yeah, that's fine."
Io nodded, and once again felt that Cirilla was so easy to get along with.
Then he took out a piece of densely written parchment from his pocket, looked around, and after making sure that no one was paying attention in this direction, he handed the paper to Caroline.
"This is the information about the thieves and pickpockets you asked us to investigate. This is all we have collected so far. We are still collecting intelligence about other places."
"You guys are really efficient."
Caroline took the paper with some surprise, covered it with her arm, opened it slightly and took a look.
"Of course. As the well-known Agnar Gang in the dock area, it is quite easy for us to find people."
Io boasted proudly for a while, and when he saw Caroline happily put away the parchment, he didn't say too much politely, rubbed his hands and asked expectantly:
"So how are our affairs going?"
Caroline put away the parchment, looked up at Io, spread her hands, and said:
"There has been no progress. After all, the other party is a large factory owner. As you said, he is also the nephew of Tingen City Councilor. It is not so easy to find his flaws."
"How long will that take?"
"Well... let me ask you first, how long can those workers who have been owed wages hold on now?"
"Without wages, they can probably hold out for a month. With the remaining savings at home and by getting food from other places, there are still many ways to barely survive. But after a month, they may only be able to eat charity meals at major churches and receive poverty subsidies from the government."
"One month... OK, I have a rough idea."
Caroline nodded, moved her chair and prepared to leave.
"Ah? You're leaving now? Don't you want to have a drink before you leave?"
Io blinked and looked at Caroline who stood up.
"I have something to do, so I won't be able to enjoy the night with you."
Caroline raised the corner of her mouth and patted the pocket where the parchment was kept.
Io gasped, remembering what Caroline had said before about collecting this information for "hunting".
"Let me ask you, are you thinking about... these people?"
Io made a subtle gesture of wiping his neck.
"How is that possible? Do I look cruel?"
"So what are you going to do with these guys?"
Caroline's eyes turned slightly, and she said with a faint smile:
"You'll know tomorrow morning..."
...
The lower-level residential areas in the dock area are often populated by a large number of idle people. Most of them do not have proper jobs, hang out in street gangs, and do shameful jobs to make a living.
Wright is one of this group of people. He has been caught by the Tingen police for the fourth time. He did not learn his lesson when he was released from the cell for the fourth time.
Only yesterday he had stolen a gentleman's wallet on a public coach, and used the money inside to enjoy himself and get drunk.
By the time he woke up from his drunken state, it was already late at night the next day.
The intense thirst and headache made it difficult for Wright to fall asleep again after waking up, especially the urge to urinate that he had been holding back for a long time, which made it impossible for him to continue to sleep relaxedly.
So he had no choice but to get up from the tattered bed and staggered out of his house, which could be considered his home.
Coming out onto the street at night, Wright was blown a little more awake by the cold wind outside.
He stretched, yawned, found a corner and unzipped his pants, not caring whether he would be seen or not, and started to defecate to his heart's content.
"Damn it, I spent too much yesterday, and the money I have left won't last me a few days..."
People like Wright never plan for money, they always just enjoy the present.
The thought that occurred to Wright at this moment was just his numb nerves reminding him that it was time to find another target.
"Let's go to the South District tomorrow during the day. If all else fails, we can hang out with those gangs and see if we can borrow some money from some families..."
Wright thought that the discharge of waste was coming to an end.
He shook his body as he pulled at his pants to fasten them.
Suddenly, he heard a woman's voice behind him.
"'Rat' Wright?"
"Hmm? Who is it?"
Why are there women on the streets of the dockland at night?
Wright found it very strange, but even stranger things were yet to come.
He looked back, but everything in front of him suddenly became dark.
It was as if something suddenly covered his head and bound his entire upper body.
Then, he felt his hand being pulled away by a powerful force, and then he heard the female voice say again:
"There's a triangular birthmark on the palm of your hand... Yeah, yes, it's definitely you."
"Damn it, who the hell are you--"
Before Wright could utter any vulgar words, a sharp pain came from the back of his head the next second.
After a muffled sound, Wright's consciousness instantly failed and his whole body collapsed to the ground.Chapter 110 Urban LegendTitle of the Book: Mystery: Fire and the Fool's Path Author's name: December's Stranding Chapter word count: 3183 words Update time: 2025-06-08 13:09:25
Klein spent his weekends slowly in a mood of happiness and anticipation.
On the one hand, he was finally recognized, and as long as he completed one more team-joining mission, he would be able to become a formal member of the "Nighthawks".
On the other hand, he finally met someone of his kind, and the other person was not a stranger but a new friend he met before the time travel.
Although they are new friends, meeting again in this different world, under the catalysis of this environment, the new friends are not much different from friends I have known for a long time.
However, Klein did not take the initiative to look for Caroline. After all, she had her own things to do, and Klein did not want to disturb her too much.
So he waited until the Monday of the following week, anticipating his mission to join the team.
At seven o'clock on Monday morning, Klein opened his eyes exhausted.
He scratched his head feeling a little uncomfortable, then stood up and sat on the bed, staring blankly for a while.
Last night was not a peaceful time. He and his family had gone to Melissa's classmate's house to attend a birthday dinner, but he did not expect to encounter a strange black divination incident.
Although the incident was finally resolved under Klein's operation, he also reported the matter to Captain Dunn Smith and analyzed the mastermind behind the black divination incident, Heinus Vincent, but Klein still felt that this incident would not end so easily.
"I wonder what the captain and his team's investigation results are..."
Klein sorted out his confused thoughts and let the tiredness from waking up slowly leave his body. Then he officially got up, went to wash up, came back to change into formal clothes, took the key and went out.
After leaving No. 2 Daffodil Street, Klein headed to the public carriage stop as usual, ready to take a ride to the Blackthorn Security Company on Zouteland Street.
As he approached the parking spot, Klein's ears casually caught the discussions of the people around him.
"Look, it looks like the police department has responded to what happened in the past two days!"
Klein looked in the direction of the sound and saw a crowd of people gathered in front of a nearby newspaper stand. One of the gentlemen was holding a newspaper and reading the report on the front page with great interest along with a few people beside him.
Is there anything new happening?
Klein had spent the past two days consolidating and learning his knowledge of mysticism and had not gone out much.
He walked slowly to the newsstand and glanced at the eye-catching front-page headline on the newspaper.
"Mysterious vigilante! The true guardian of Tingen's nighttime law and order?"
Vigilantes? Like Spider-Man and Batman?
Klein's thoughts turned, and he quickly focused his attention on the text fields that he could barely see clearly.
Over the past two days, Tingen Police Station has found a large number of people tied in sacks outside the police station every morning.
Those people were basically in a coma, and after investigation by the police, they were found to be all "famous" habitual thieves in the dock area. Some of them had been arrested by the police many times and continued to commit crimes after being released from prison. There were also newcomers who had been committing crimes during this period but had not been arrested by the police.
The police found that these people seemed to have been knocked unconscious and sent to the police station, and they were all sent in the middle of the night. There were not many signs of resistance on their bodies, indicating that they were knocked unconscious before they had time to resist.
From Friday to Sunday, a total of more than a dozen habitual thieves were knocked unconscious by mysterious men at night and sent to the police station. As a result, the public security in the dock area has improved slightly in the past two days, and the police station has received much fewer reports of theft.
The newspaper said that the people in the dock area didn't know what was going on, but they very much welcomed the appearance of such a mysterious street vigilante in Tingen.
A police spokesman said that although they were grateful for this action of upholding justice and maintaining urban security, it was against the laws of the kingdom to enforce the law without the permission of the police.
The police hope that this mysterious vigilante will come to the police station to admit his actions and call on the general public to report relevant clues.
"Someone in our company once compared the police department to a group of curly-haired baboons wielding knives and sticks. It's true!"
"It's fine if they can't do their job well, but now they want to punish those who help them share the pressure! How is this different from the curly-haired baboon who feels that his banana tree has been stolen?"
The gentleman holding the newspaper made sharp comments, which drew applause from the onlookers around him.
Only Klein, who was standing outside and reading a newspaper, had a bad look on his face, because he had roughly guessed the true identity of the mysterious vigilante.
"Gu Yu's performance is a little too flamboyant..."
On the day he met Caroline, he heard her say that she was going to play the role of a "hunter" in Tingen. Klein hadn't taken it too seriously at first, but now that he saw the matter was in the newspapers, he felt that he needed to remind her.
However, according to her progress, I think her role as hunter should be quite effective...
Seeing the public carriage approaching in the distance, Klein raised his hand to press the brim of his hat and hurriedly stepped onto the carriage.
...
A lookout point outside the Lanevus Steel Company in the southern district of Tingen.
Caroline lay on the rooftop, using the cover of the house to monitor Lanevus's situation with a telescope while happily chewing an apple.
Three consecutive nights of high-intensity "hunting" brought her very significant results. Just as Klein said, she could indeed feel the potential digestion of the potion in the performance.
Especially when she finished summarizing each night's hunting, she could feel that her understanding of "hunter" had deepened, and therefore she could feel exactly the digestion of the potion in her body.
The so-called "hunter" must first clearly define his hunting target and ensure that his attack firmly locks on the prey.
The second is to make plans and preparations before hunting. Either do not attack, or attack quickly and decisively without dragging your feet.
Caroline had been doing the same thing during her hunting these days. With the help of the list Io Bronson gave her, she eliminated the habitual thieves on the list almost one by one in order.
She would determine the identity of the target in advance for each hunt, and once she started making contact it wouldn't take too much time. It would usually take no more than five seconds of face to face before she would knock them out and put them into her little sack.
Interestingly, Caroline felt an indescribable pleasure from her hunting, which not only made her move faster, but also urged her to hunt again.
But Caroline was very restrained and did not blindly follow the impulse of this emotion. And after yesterday's hunting, she began to find that her performance progress was not as significant as it was at the beginning.
Is it because my level has increased, so I won't gain much experience by hunting these low-level prey?
Caroline calmly summarized her hunting results, analyzing the situations she encountered in a more understandable way.
If her experience points were reduced, she could win by sheer numbers, but where could Tingen have so many habitual thieves for her to gain experience points?
If there are not enough low-level monsters in a place, you should turn your attention to higher-level monsters.
but...
"We still have to think about it carefully. If it doesn't work out, we can go back to Backlund and kill the habitual thieves there."
Caroline thought about it and continued to focus her attention on Lanevus, where everything was normal at the steel company.
"Perhaps capturing Lanevus will be a good high-level hunt... Although I may not be the leader, it seems good to follow along and gain some experience..."
Caroline's mouth corners curled up slightly, and she was about to take a bite of the apple, when suddenly, a burst of deep red appeared in front of her eyes.
Behind the crimson, the gray mist slowly spread out, and the mysterious silhouette of The Fool sitting high on the chair slowly emerged before her.
Immediately afterwards, she heard a series of illusory and magnificent sounds reaching her ears.
"I have something to ask you..."
"I have something to ask you..."
Caroline was in a trance, and when she came to her senses, the crimson and gray mist in front of her had disappeared.
Lao Zhou? He wants to talk to me about something?
Caroline quickly put away the telescope and hid in a small tool room on the roof.
After barely completing four steps in reverse, Caroline saw the familiar crimson burst out before her eyes.
After a moment of confusion, her consciousness once again came above the gray fog.
The ancient bronze table was still there, the majestic pillars around it stood tall, and the endless gray fog rolled quietly underfoot.
Caroline withdrew her gaze and turned to the seat at the head of the long table.
At this moment, Klein was sitting there, stroking his forehead with one hand, staring at him with an indescribable look.
"Old Zhou, do you have something to talk to me about?"
Caroline asked first.
Klein nodded, took a deep breath, and said:
"Did you know you're in the newspaper, the mysterious street vigilante?"
Caroline blinked and nodded.
"I know. I've read the 'report' on the 'Void Cube'."
"I thought you didn't know..."
Klein recited softly.
"Your performance is a little too flamboyant. If you continue like this, you will soon become an urban legend in Tingen."
"Ah? Such a small thing can become an urban legend... I have heard many more explosive urban legends in Backlund."
"That's Backlund. Tingen is a very peaceful and tranquil city after all. Even a small disturbance on a normal day would be enough for the neighbors to discuss for days."
"That's really a place suitable for retirement life..."
Caroline said, pursed her lips, lowered her head and glanced at Klein secretly.
"Uh, so am I in trouble?"
Klein tapped his forehead lightly with his finger, shook his head and said:
"It's not a big deal. At least you haven't attracted the attention of the Nighthawks."
"But you'd better restrain yourself a little. After all, the sudden appearance of a street vigilante in Tingen is likely to attract attention, Miss Hunter."
"I see. I was planning to stay out of the spotlight a bit because my roleplaying effect has weakened."
Caroline raised her hand and saluted Klein in the style of the Loen Army.Chapter 111 The Williams FamilyTitle of the Book: Mystery: Fire and the Fool's Path Author's name: December's Stranding Chapter word count: 3224 words Update time: 2025-06-08 18:00:00
In fact, Klein himself didn't want to blame anything, he just wanted to remind Caroline.
After all, as a member of the Nighthawks, he has the advantage of information and knowledge in this regard, while Caroline, as a wild extraordinary person, is obviously lacking in this regard.
We are all adults now, so just giving some advice and reminders will be enough.
Looking at Caroline's posture, Klein smiled softly and casually mentioned the good news he had just received:
"I have received the mission to join the team. After completing today's mission, I will be an official member of the Nighthawks."
"That's great."
Caroline was sincerely happy for Crane.
"What kind of mission did you receive? Is it simple? Do you need some off-site assistance?"
"No, no, it's nothing difficult. It's just... um, helping a rich guy solve a harassment problem."
Klein thought about his words and tried not to reveal too much to Caroline.
"A rich man? A wealthy man in Tinggen?"
Klein nodded in response. Caroline said "Oh" and then immediately thought of something. She rubbed her hands and said:
"Uh, well, if it's convenient, can you help me get some information from that rich guy?"
"What news?"
"Nothing, just news about a factory owner in Tingen."
Caroline said a little sheepishly.
"I received a commission application. A factory owner named Frensen owed wages to many workers. Someone hoped that I could investigate the financial situation of the factory owner to see if he was able to make up for the arrears."
"This Mr. Frenson is said to be the nephew of City Councilman Maynard. We may not be able to get any clues through ordinary means. Perhaps there will be some rumors in the circles of these wealthy tycoons."
Klein listened to Caroline's explanation, thought for a moment, and nodded.
"Okay, I'll help you find out the situation."
"That's great!"
Caroline laughed happily.
"When you officially become a Nighthawk, let's find an opportunity to go out for a meal together?"
Klein chuckled and said:
"Let's talk about it after I complete this mission."
"Oh, by the way, don't forget the Tarot Club this afternoon. It's still at the usual time. I'll let you know when the time comes."
Caroline sat up straight and said to Klein in a very upright manner:
"No problem, Mr. Fool~"
...
After sending Caroline back, Klein did not stay above the gray fog any longer.
After returning to reality, Klein opened his eyes in the bathroom of Blackthorn Security Company. He took out a few tissues step by step and threw them into the toilet. He pressed the flush button and waited for a while before getting up and going to the sink to turn on the faucet to wash his hands.
After leaving the bathroom, Klein walked towards the lounge with a normal expression.
According to the captain's instructions, he had to change into the uniform of a trainee inspector before meeting with any inspectors who would be cooperating with him on this trip.
When passing by Dunn Smith's office, Klein suddenly noticed some strange fluctuations in the environment near the office.
To be more precise, the space around the office had become too quiet, so much so that Klein felt an indescribable sense of tension whenever he walked past that area.
Klein slowed down his pace a little as he remembered the captain's not-so-good expression this morning.
Nothing will happen...
Although this is the headquarters of Tingen Nighthawks, Klein still felt a little worried.
So he moved a little closer to the captain's office, hesitated for a moment, raised his hand and knocked on the office door.
"What's the matter?"
Inside the office, Dunn Smith's calm and soothing voice sounded as usual.
It seems nothing happened... Klein thought, and then spoke:
"Captain, I'm ready here, we'll set off in a moment."
"Okay, I get it. Be careful on the road."
Not noticing anything wrong in Dunn Smith's tone, Klein could only attribute the abnormality in the office to the captain doing something confidential.
So he didn't ask any more questions and continued walking towards the lounge diagonally opposite.
In the captain's office, Dunn Smith sat behind his desk.
In front of him stood two men wearing Loen Army uniforms.
One of them turned around and stared at the door, sensing silently for a while, then turned around and looked at his other companion, nodded, and said:
"Already left."
The other person nodded in response and looked at Dunn Smith behind the desk.
"Do your team members report everything to you?"
Dunn Smith smiled gently, with a slight smile on his face.
"It's normal because they trust me."
The man looked at Dunn's face without a smile and said in a cold tone:
"Very good. I hope you will not betray our trust."
"Since this is a task entrusted to me by the church, I will naturally take it seriously."
Dunn Smith's gray eyes turned slightly, and he faced the two soldiers with the same steady and resolute attitude.
"But I also want to remind you that although this is a confidential operation, you must also abide by Tingen's order."
"It's one thing to protect the people they are there to protect, but it's also my responsibility to protect Tingen."
"I'm sorry, but that's just how I am. If you think my attitude is bad, you can intervene directly as a military officer. As the captain of the Nighthawks, I will definitely cooperate with your actions."
The soldier standing on the left seemed a little dissatisfied with Dunn's words. He was about to say something when his companion beside him stopped him.
"Captain Dunn, I like your attitude."
"But please don't forget that we are soldiers of the kingdom. Our general taught us that protecting the people of Loen is also our duty."
Dunn Smith smiled friendly and said:
"It seems you have a very good general."
The two soldiers smiled a little, but the smile disappeared quickly and they immediately returned to their original rigid state.
"Then we won't say anything more."
"Please remember that she is the only remaining bloodline of the noble family. In certain circumstances, we will prioritize protecting her life."
Dunn Smith closed his eyes slightly without saying anything.
The two soldiers said goodbye to him and left the Blackthorn Security Company through an open secret passage in the office.
Watching the secret passage behind the bookshelf slowly close, Dunn Smith let out a helpless sigh and leaned back in his chair tiredly.
"The last bloodline of the Williams family..."
Dunn Smith pondered, his gray eyes looking at a book called "History of the Kingdom of Loen" on the bookshelf.
...
Backlund, Queens.
Audrey Hall sat in front of her dressing mirror, practicing her manners.
She was trying to integrate her "audience" status into the content taught by the etiquette teacher. On the one hand, it was to better play the role of "audience" in some banquets, and on the other hand, it was to hide her identity as a Beyonder.
"Knock knock knock—"
There were regular knocks on the bedroom door. Audrey quickly stepped out of her "spectator" mode, turned her head to look at the door, and said:
"Come in~"
The knocking stopped, and Audrey's personal maid quickly pushed the door open, holding a rather thick book in her arms.
The maid entered the bedroom and turned around to close the door.
The door closed, and in the gap, a golden figure flashed outside the door.
Anne, the personal maid, walked up to Audrey and whispered to her with some complaints:
"Mr. Butler is so hard to convince. I told him that you were looking for a book, but he still kept nagging me."
Audrey covered her mouth and chuckled softly, comforting her:
"Please be considerate of Mr. Butler. He is very old and has to be responsible for so much work every day."
"I think the chef's job is more tiring than his."
Anne said, handing the book in her arms to Audrey.
Audrey took the book and wrote on the dusty and faded cover in the remaining gold-stamped font: "A General History of the Kingdom of Loen".
"Are you sure it's this book?"
Audrey looked up and asked.
"Yes, I specifically told the butler to take the oldest history book. He actually found it from the top of the study."
Maid Anne nodded affirmatively.
"Okay, thank you Annie."
She thanked her personal maid, who bowed slightly to Audrey and then left the bedroom.
After Anne left, Audrey placed the book on the dressing table and opened its ancient title page.
On the front page, Audrey saw a line of year numbers that were old enough to make her feel at ease.
"Dad said that the history books of the kingdom have been modified and deleted to a certain extent, but the older the books are, the closer the history will be to the complete picture."
Audrey thought about it and turned the book to the table of contents.
Following the search, she found the large chapter dedicated to the kingdom's nobles, and from there she went down and found the noble she was looking for based on the letters of the alphabet.
"Williams"
Audrey paid attention to the corresponding page number and the next noble page number, and found that there was a considerable gap in between.
"Sure enough, the earlier history books gave quite detailed introductions to the Williams family!"
Audrey was delighted, and immediately turned the book to the page belonging to the Williams family.
At the bottom left of the title, there is an early portrait of the character.
The figure in the painting is a middle-aged man with a resolute face, blue eyes, light golden hair mixed with a little bright red, and a thick beard.
His eyes were looking directly outside the painting, his gaze was full of power and a kind of arrogance that looked down on the world.
Below the character portrait, there is a line of introduction in small print.
"Franz Williams, 1st Duke of Williams."
Duke? The title of the Williams family used to be Duke?!
Audrey's eyes widened slightly, and she quickly looked at the detailed text description next to it.
"The Williams family originated from the great achievements made by Franz Williams in the Loen founding war..."
"For his contribution in assisting King William I, the Founder, in building the country, he is granted the title of Duke..."
"Because the third Duke Williams was suspected of treason... he was stripped of his title and demoted to earl..."