SWNOVELXO Chapter 26: 26
Chapter 129: Madam Xuelun (Part 3)Title of the Book: Mystery: Fire and the Fool's Path Author's name: December's Stranding Chapter word count: 3393 words Update time: 2025-06-16 20:00:00
It didn't require very deep memory, Caroline recalled the other person's identity in an instant.
It's the lady who has a... uh, overly harmonious relationship with both Congressman Maynard and Frenson!
After the party that day, Caroline deliberately investigated the other party's identity and found out that she was a famous socialite in Tingen's upper class society and the widow of the former Baron Hoy. She enjoyed an excellent reputation among Tingen's high-end people.
Caroline remembered that her name seemed to be...
"Mrs. Sharon..."
Mrs. Sharon got off the carriage. She was wearing a white veil and a long dress with special meaning. She walked gracefully to the door of Frenson's house.
"Oh no, they won't have any activities inappropriate for children tonight..."
Caroline suddenly recalled the shock she had felt that day due to the wonderful relationship between Mrs. Sharon and Maynard's uncle and nephew. She seemed to have foreseen what was going to happen next.
"But this seems to be an opportunity..."
Caroline calmed herself down, raised the telescope and looked towards Frensen's bedroom.
Not long after, Caroline saw Frensen subconsciously put the account book in his hand into the inside pocket of his clothes as if he had heard the noise, then stood up from the bed and walked towards the door.
When I opened the door, it was indeed Mrs. Sharon standing in the corridor outside.
She was still wearing the white veil. Normally, these outer accessories should have been handed over to the servants for safekeeping after entering the house, but she brought it directly to Frenson, which made Caroline begin to wonder about the wonderful use of this veil.
"It's a pity that there are no mobile phones in this world, otherwise I would definitely make a video call and ask Lao Zhou to watch it together..." Caroline complained inwardly.
Within the telescope's field of view, Frensen greeted Mrs. Sharon warmly.
After leading the latter into the bedroom, he gave a few instructions to the servant outside the door and stood by the door waiting for something.
Not long after, the servant returned to the bedroom door with a tray. Caroline clearly saw two full glasses of red wine on the tray.
"He really knows how to have fun..." Caroline twitched the corner of her mouth and silently rolled her eyes at Frensen who was dozens of meters away.
After taking the wine glass from the servant, Frenson immediately closed the door and walked up to Mrs. Sharon, who was already sitting on the bed, holding the glass.
The latter took a wine glass from Frensen, clinked it lightly with his, and pursed the rim of the glass with his rosy lips.
Frenson was also drinking red wine, but his eyes never left Mrs. Sharon.
While drinking, the two were chatting about something, perhaps some prelude to the main show, but it didn't last too long. The main show that Caroline was waiting for began to unfold amid Frensen's impatience and wild enthusiasm.
Caroline had witnessed this farce once before. Last time, she left in a hurry before watching the whole thing, but this time she had to witness the whole performance as a spectator.
She watched the scene through the gap in the curtains with patience. The two of them appeared on the bed opposite the gap, then ran to the place hidden by the curtains and did something unknown, and then returned to the view revealed by the gap in a posture that shocked Caroline.
She didn't see any trace of the veil. God knew what it was used for. Perhaps it had just flown to the corner with the other clothes due to Frensen's wild movements.
However, Caroline noticed that Frensen's own clothes were thrown on the desk nearby.
And the account book she wanted was inside Frensen's coat.
...
It has to be said that Frenson is young after all. Caroline waited patiently for almost an hour before she saw him finally get off Mrs. Sharon's body, panting.
"No wonder people say that ancient people had a lot of fun. In an era without smartphones to entertain people, what other activities were suitable for killing time in the evening?"
Caroline finally realized the meaning of this sentence. It seems that some things really need to be witnessed or experienced in order to be deeply understood.
With her vision polluted for more than an hour, Caroline stared at Frenson's body with difficulty, observing his next move.
"You'd better not start another game for me..."
Caroline prayed silently and hoped.
Maybe her persistence moved some god, but finally, Caroline saw Frenson saying something to Mrs. Sharon.
Compared with the former, Mrs. Sharon was in a much better condition - this was also what amazed Caroline - she smiled softly with her hands covering her mouth, responding to Frensen's words.
Later, Caroline saw that Frensen's already tired face was full of energy again, and he was obviously preparing to start the second game.
However, he did not choose the bedroom as the venue again.
Mrs. Sharon climbed up from the bed and put her arms around Frenson's arms seductively like a snake.
She whispered something in Frensen's ear with her red lips, and the latter immediately picked her up by the waist and walked out of the bedroom excitedly.
After a while, Caroline saw that the light in the bathroom next door was turned on.
"You are really good at playing. Aren't you afraid of being seen by the servants..."
It is said that the Loen people are the most reserved and introverted race in the northern continent. Now Caroline finally understands what it means to "a jar that has been suppressed for a long time will shake the world once it explodes."
However, Caroline had no time to criticize the erotic scene between Frenson and Mrs. Sharon. The moment she had been waiting for had finally arrived.
Putting away the telescope, Caroline quickly left the surveillance point and came to the ground.
Caroline lowered her footsteps and crouched down as she quickly approached the yard of Frenson's residence.
She had confirmed before that there were no cats or dogs in Frensen's home, so she didn't have to worry about her scent being detected by these animals with a keen sense of smell.
After confirming that there was no one in the backyard, Caroline skillfully climbed over the wall and quietly broke into the Frensen family's yard.
Caroline ran quickly to the wall of the house and summoned the "Void Cube" in a remote place that was difficult to see directly.
Now, she could basically understand the basic situation inside the house.
At this time, most of the servants of the Frensen family had returned to the servants' room to rest, so there was no one in the corridors and front hall on the first floor.
Not to mention the second floor. Since Frensen wanted to enjoy himself, there was no way he would let anyone get close to it.
At this time on the second floor, there were only the two overlapping dots in the bathroom. It seemed that a new battle had just begun.
Now is the right time for Caroline to take action!
After taking back the "Void Cube", Caroline looked up at the structure of the house and briefly conceived the climbing route in her mind.
Then she jumped lightly, reached out and grabbed the protruding part of the window of the restaurant on the first floor, and climbed up with the help of it.
After gaining her footing, she held onto the pipe next to her and moved a little closer to the bedroom window. Then she jumped up, grabbed the waistline of the outer walls of the first and second floors, and climbed down one more floor.
From here, she could simply stretch out her hand and reach directly to the bottom edge of Frensen's bedroom window.
Without waiting any longer, Caroline immediately climbed out of the bedroom window.
"I hope you don't have the 'bad' habit of locking your windows..."
Caroline curled the corners of her mouth, held the window glass with one hand and lifted it up.
"Shua…"
After a slight noise, the bedroom window opened as Caroline wished.
"Good luck always favors me a little!"
Caroline suppressed the joy in her heart and entered the house through the window.
However, as soon as she entered the bedroom, Caroline was almost driven dizzy by the strange smell in the air.
She forced herself to control her eyes, not to look at the strange remains, and to focus on Frensen's clothes.
Caroline was now lying on the window. She didn't dare to go directly into the house for fear of leaving her footprints.
She first carefully memorized the arrangement of Frensen's clothes, and then she lifted her coat and searched for the items according to what she had seen Frensen put away the account book.
Soon, she touched a stack of thick paper.
Caroline slowly pulled it out and took a closer look. Sure enough, this was the account book of the three factories under Frensen's name.
Her eyes lit up, but Caroline did not intend to take all the account books away. Doing so would surely be discovered by Frenson, giving him time to respond.
Steadying herself, Caroline opened the account book and quickly turned to the latest pages.
Although there are three factories, Frensen seems to give a summary of the three factories together in the monthly account summary, which is well reflected in the account books that Caroline saw.
One of the pages showed the operating conditions for July. Caroline didn't need to understand too much, she just needed to know the final statistical profit and loss.
"One, ten, hundred, thousand, ten thousand... Shit, this guy's factory has already lost 23,000 gold pounds?!"
Caroline opened her eyes wide in surprise. For a moment she thought she had misread the decimal point, but after reconfirming it, she had to take a deep breath again.
This is the number summarized in the account book, but if we take into account the more realistic situation, the real number will probably be even higher...
This guy is on the verge of bankruptcy, but he still has the time to hang out with Tingen's famous socialite at home...
Caroline gritted her teeth and suppressed her inner anger a little.
This should be enough solid evidence...
Although I could have guessed this result, it was still surprising to see it in person...
Caroline looked towards the bathroom dimly. Even through the wall, she seemed to be able to see Frenson's disgusting posture.
I hope you can still laugh so happily in a few days...
Caroline gently tore off the page of the account book, making sure that Frensen would not be able to easily see the tear.
Then she put the account book back on Frensen's clothes and adjusted his clothes according to her memory, making sure there would be no unexpected mistakes.
"That's all..."
Caroline exhaled and prepared to leave with the torn account book.
Suddenly, as her eyes turned inadvertently, she saw the white veil that Mrs. Sharon was wearing.
The white gauze had originally fallen in the corner of the bedroom, and behind the white gauze was a life-size floor-to-ceiling mirror.
Caroline glanced at the mirror and the more she looked, the stranger it seemed.
The decorations around the mirror didn't look like something suitable for the room of a grown man like Frensen, but more like a style that would be used by a lady like Mrs. Sharon.
Is it Frensen's unique hobby, or is his heart actually twisted a long time ago...
Caroline's thoughts were churning, and she was about to look away, but she seemed to see a strange light flash on the mirror.
That was just...
Caroline looked at the mirror again, but didn't see anything.
Frowning slightly, Caroline didn't think any more and quickly left the bedroom scene.Chapter 130 The Flame Will RiseTitle of the Book: Mystery: Fire and the Fool's Path Author's name: December's Stranding Chapter word count: 3591 words Update time: 2025-06-17 13:00:00
After obtaining the key account book evidence, Caroline returned to the hotel and did not sleep that night.
The abnormality she felt in Frensen's bedroom forced Caroline to be more cautious. In order to prevent her "burglary" from being discovered by Frensen through some unexpected means and thus causing a quick revenge, she stayed awake in the hotel all night.
During this night, she frequently kept the "Void Cube" expanded, using the "map" to directly gain insight into the situation near the room, while reading all the "reports" that had been accumulated before.
There haven't been any major events worth noting in recent reports. In fact, since Caroline's digestion of the "Hunter" potion has improved, she has found that subtle changes have also begun to occur in the generation of "reports".
The most notable change is that the number of general news and gossip articles has decreased significantly. It has been a long time since Caroline has seen some trivial matters being reported as "reports" in the "Void Cube".
It seems that only those social events that have attracted great attention and major events that are strongly related to Caroline can drive the "Void Cube" to form "reports".
This reduced a lot of trouble for Caroline in reading information. After all, she didn't have the leisure to find out where a trading dispute had occurred in the market in Tingen.
So the night passed slowly in Caroline's nervous waiting until the sun rose the next morning.
Seeing that nothing happened the whole night, Caroline was certain that Frensen had not noticed that his precious account book had been stolen... at least not in the short term.
Looking at the morning light gradually rising outside the window, Caroline changed her luggage and left the hotel with the torn page of the account book.
There were relatively few people on the streets in the morning, but public transportation had already started operating.
An hour later, Caroline arrived at the dock area, near the Dragon Bar, by public carriage.
By this time it was already bright in the sky. Compared to Zouteland Street which had few pedestrians just now, the dock area where the lower class people lived was now crowded with people.
A large number of heavy labor workers and textile workers walked on the dirty streets, looking tired, but had to drive their limbs towards the factories and docks.
Caroline moved among them, watching them repeating their fixed itinerary as if it were a set program.
Among them, there must be workers from the factory owned by Frensen, but they probably cannot imagine the situation Frensen is facing, and the wages they are owed are already difficult to get.
Clutching the account book in her pocket, Caroline put her thoughts aside and deliberately wandered around the Dragon Bar, looking for those familiar faces.
Soon, she found someone she had some impression of in a workers' gathering place at the docks.
Io Bronson's younger brother, the guy nicknamed "Wooden", was squatting on a street corner, holding a piece of black bread in his hand, eating his simple morning casually.
He was thinking about where to go to work as a temporary worker for a day. The Agnar Gang had been in some financial trouble recently, and Io, as the gang leader, had been trying hard to recruit work for the gang.
Although life could still be barely manageable, "Wood" Wood always felt that this was not a good thing.
He took a bite of bread in annoyance and suddenly felt someone tapping his shoulder.
"Where is your boss now?"
Hmm? It's a woman's voice? And why does it sound so familiar...
"Wood" Wood turned around and met Caroline's eyes directly.
Caroline originally wanted to say hello to him, but unexpectedly, the latter showed a very surprised expression when he saw her.
His mouth opened so wide that the half-chewed bread in his mouth almost fell out.
Then he glared vigorously, and quickly stood up from the ground. He gestured chaotically with his empty hands, but because of the bread in his mouth, he could not utter a single clear word.
After finally swallowing the bread, Wood took a breath and said to Caroline:
"Miss Xilia, the boss said someone is tracking you, you must be careful!"
Is someone tracking me?
Caroline was confused for a second, then immediately realized that the person he was talking about was Leonik, who had disappeared by Mikhail the day before yesterday.
It turns out that Io Bronson noticed this... According to Wood, he wanted to remind himself...
Caroline curled the corners of her mouth with emotion and gestured to "Wood" Wood to rest assured.
"Don't worry, the matter has been resolved."
"Solved, solved?"
"Wood" Wood blinked and looked at Caroline blankly.
"Well, it's solved... Do you know where your boss is? I need to talk to him about something."
"Oh, Miss Xiliya, please wait here for a moment. I'll go find the boss now!"
"Wood" Wood nodded repeatedly, grabbed the piece of black bread, and ran quickly in a certain direction.
Good man, don't cross the road... Caroline looked at "Mu Mu" who rushed across the street without looking back, and the corners of her mouth twitched.
Then she turned around and looked at the workers who were also digesting their breakfast.
The workers looked at Caroline, whose clothes and appearance were out of place in the dock area, with either curiosity or confusion. But when she turned her head to look at them, they quickly turned their eyes away like frightened birds, as if they had just done something bad.
But they didn't do anything.
Caroline couldn't say anything about this. She silently withdrew her gaze and waited patiently there.
Not long after, she saw "Wood" Wood appear across the street, and next to him was Io Bronson in a brown linen vest.
When he saw Caroline, Io Bronson also showed an expression of surprise.
But then, his expression immediately became serious. He walked quickly across the street, came to Caroline, looked around, pulled her to a corner where there were not many people, and whispered:
"There is a red-haired outsider who is tracking you. I don't think he has good intentions. Cirilla, you better be careful!"
Is this some kind of verbal lashing? Poor Mr. Provocateur was further provoked after his death... Caroline chuckled and shook her head, saying to Io:
"I have already dealt with this matter. Thank you for reminding me."
"Huh? Have you dealt with it yet?"
Io blinked with the same stunned expression, and Caroline now knew who "Wood" Wood learned that expression from.
"Well, it was taken care of the day before yesterday. I don't think anyone will see him again."
Caroline spoke lightly, but to Io's ears it sounded like a bloody verdict.
He rolled his throat subconsciously. When he saw the man in the bar, he instinctively felt that the other party was not someone to be trifled with, otherwise he would have brought his brothers from the Agner Gang to cause trouble.
And this person who Io instinctively felt he could not fight against was actually "dealt with" quietly...
After holding it in for a long time, Io finally squeezed out a sentence:
"You, I'm glad you're okay. I've been asking my little brother to look for you these past few days, but I couldn't find you. I thought you had already... ahaha..."
Io scratched his head to ease the embarrassment.
"Then please accept this as a thank you gift."
Caroline smiled and took out the page of the account book from her pocket.
"This is...?"
Io took the account book and just unfolded it when he heard Caroline continue:
"The evidence you want is a corner of the account book of the factory owned by Frensen."
"How could you get something like this?!"
Io glanced at Caroline in astonishment, but soon the astonishment on his face deepened as he read, until it turned into suppressed anger.
Caroline noticed that Io's fingertips were turning white from exerting too much force, so she reached out and patted Io's shoulders twice, saying softly:
"It has Frensen's signature and the seal of his factory, which is enough to serve as tangible evidence."
"What you need to do now is to stay calm, then tell the workers his true colors and let them give up their illusions."
Io took a few deep breaths and slowly calmed down.
"Well, I know what to do... Phew, thank you, Xiliya, you really helped us a lot."
"Nothing, just helping others." Caroline smiled at Io.
"So what are you going to do next?"
Io folded up the account book, carefully kept it, and replied:
"I will first ask the gang members to gather some workers and bring evidence to the union to file a complaint, but I think this is unlikely to have any effect, so it's just a cover."
"After that, we will try to negotiate with Frensen. If the situation is still not good, we will probably have to go on strike to protest."
Listening to Io's action plan, Caroline frowned and shook her head:
"No, by that time, Frensen might have known about the account book leak, and he might have made corresponding preparations in advance."
"You should file your complaint on the same day and ask the union to take action on the same day."
"If the union can't do it, then we should just go on strike and not give Frensen time to react."
"At the same time, you must make the strike as loud as possible, at least to let the citizens of Tingen know your demands and what Frensen has done. The purpose of all this is to alarm Councillor Maynard."
"As the promoter of the labor subsidy bill, even if he wanted to protect Frensen, he had to act under political pressure."
"You know, the Tingen City Government is not a monolithic entity. The struggle between the New Party and the Conservative Party has been going on. If the Conservatives see an opportunity to suppress Councillor Maynard and the New Party, they will surely be happy to help you."
"Of course, the premise is that your protest has not yet touched upon more core and more deadly factors."
Io hadn't thought too much about it at first, but after hearing Caroline's suggestions, his expression gradually changed from surprise to concentration.
"This, this, this makes sense!"
Io Bronson nodded thoughtfully. Then he asked doubtfully:
"What is the more core and fatal factor?"
Caroline didn't answer, but just smiled mysteriously at Io.
Seeing that Caroline didn't answer, Io didn't insist on asking for the answer.
"I didn't expect you to know how to plan a strike... Xilia, have you ever had similar organizational experience?"
Caroline shook her head and said:
"I have only read some books, and my understanding is very superficial."
"In short, everything depends on your own efforts. But I want to remind you that once you start a strike, you must not stop until your demands are fully achieved. You cannot give in."
"The action must be decisive and the organization must be strict. There must be no looseness or disorder."
"That's good advice. I'll try my best to do it." Io nodded a few times, then he thought of something and happily invited Caroline, "Why don't you be our consultant?"
"I'm leaving Tingen soon, and I'm not from Tingen, nor am I part of the labor group, so it's not appropriate for me to directly participate in it."
Caroline smiled and declined.
"Ah, you are leaving Tingen."
Io sighed with regret, but then he pulled himself together again, clenched his fist towards Caroline, and said with a positive and upbeat attitude:
"Well, let us solve this matter ourselves!"Chapter 131 A visit before leavingTitle of the Book: Mystery: Fire and the Fool's Path Author's name: December's Stranding Chapter word count: 3040 words Update time: 2025-06-17 18:03:02
Night, No. 2 Daffodil Street.
After washing up, Klein returned to the bedroom from the bathroom. Sitting at the desk, he looked at the rising red moon outside, summarizing his gains for the day while thinking about how he and Old Neil had just helped solve the problem of the out-of-control Punisher.
This was not the first time he had seen an out-of-control Beyonder. When he captured Riel Bieber who had turned into a monster, he had seen even more disgusting and terrifying mutations. But this was indeed the first time he had seen a former official Beyonder degenerate into an inhuman monster.
We are guardians, but also a group of poor fellows who are constantly fighting against danger and madness... Klein kept recalling what Captain Dunn Smith had said to him, this warning from Archbishop Chanis.
Is the future of the Extraordinary people only madness and loss of control...
Klein couldn't help but feel a little sad, but thinking about it in a positive way, this might also depend on the actual situation. After all, Old Neil has been a Beyonder for many years.
He did not try to improve the sequence further, maintaining a good condition without any signs of losing control.
"Perhaps we can use role-playing to eliminate this hidden danger..."
Klein thought about it, but this gave him a new confusion.
If this is the case, why doesn't the Church disclose the secrets of the role-playing method to its subordinate official Beyonders?
Looking out the window in silence, Klein tapped the edge of the table with his fingers. This little action from playing the Fool had more or less become his daily habit... Of course, it was a habit he performed when he was alone.
It's almost time to go to bed... After glancing at the time, Klein stood up from his chair and prepared to go to bed.
At this moment, Klein suddenly heard a faint sound of illusory calls.
This was a call from others praying to The Fool. After Caroline frequently contacted him in this way, Klein was now quite familiar with it.
And at this time, calling him without any warning, Klein couldn't imagine who else would be calling him.
So he stopped walking towards the bed, and instead created a spiritual wall to seal off his bedroom, and then slowly walked four steps backwards.
As the four spells were recited, Klein's consciousness floated and quickly came above the gray fog.
The palace, as magnificent as a giant's residence, was as peaceful as usual. Klein appeared at the head of the long bronze table.
He leaned back in his high-backed chair, spreading his spirituality toward the crimson star that was emitting prayers. He glanced and saw Caroline's familiar figure lying on the bed, repeating:
"Please pull me up and have a chat..."
If other members of the Tarot Club knew that you stayed up late at night to chat with The Fool, I wonder what they would think...
Klein curled his lips, and with a thought, he summoned Caroline.
In an instant, at the side of the long bronze table, at Caroline's seat, a ball of deep red burst out like a fountain, and quickly blurred Caroline's figure.
Caroline opened her eyes and looked towards the head of the long table without hesitation. She smiled at Klein and said,
"What an instant reply! If other gods were as dedicated as you, I think they would have more believers!"
"First of all, I'm not a god. Secondly, the gods have so many believers. If everyone's prayers have to be answered, I think even the gods will get impatient one day."
Although Klein seemed to be quite respectful of the gods, his subsequent ridicule exposed his inner thoughts.
The awe in the beginning comes from the habit of living in this world, while the ridicule in the latter comes from the openness between him and Caroline.
The two of them laughed at each other, adding a bit of joy to the originally quiet gray fog.
After organizing her words, Caroline said to Klein:
"I have completed my commission. Next I will go back to Backlund. After all, I have not been back for a month. I want to see if there is anything accumulated there. By the way, I will pay back the money I owe Mr. The Hanged Man. The total is 500 pounds!"
"Are you going back?"
Klein repeated what he had heard, but inexplicably felt a little reluctant.
"I was wondering why you haven't shown up recently... Have you found conclusive evidence that the factory owner is withholding wages?"
"Yes, this is very direct physical evidence. I think Tingen will be in chaos soon." Caroline blinked at Klein.
"When you say that, it seems like you are a conspirator who is secretly plotting things..."
Klein followed with a joke.
"I'm not a conspirator. If we talk about conspiracies, the guy who's still hiding in the dark is the real conspirator."
Caroline waved her hand, her expression more focused, and then asked:
"How's the investigation into the Red Chimney going?"
"I used your funds to hire a capable private detective. He has found all the houses with red chimneys in Tingen City and is investigating them one by one." Klein said, shaking his head and sighing.
"However, I haven't found the one that matches my divination yet. It looks like it will take some time."
"I see…"
Caroline tapped the table rhythmically with her fingers and murmured:
"Then remember to be careful. I may go back for a while and come back soon. I'm not comfortable letting you face that guy alone."
"How can I really face that guy by myself? I think I should share the credit with the Nighthawks."
"Haha, with the official channels as a backing, the power of your words is different."
"Haha, that's true, um…" Klein lowered his head and smiled.
As his eyes wandered, he thought of Old Neil who had been injured while capturing the out-of-control Punisher, and his mood dimmed a little.
"Hmm? What's wrong?"
When meeting Caroline alone, Klein never took the initiative to hide his appearance, and his sudden silence made Caroline keenly aware of his emotional changes.
"Nothing." Klein looked at Caroline and considered for a moment. Thinking of the Beyonder's out-of-control appearance, he reminded her, "My potion has been completely digested. Next, I need to prepare to advance to Sequence 8. You need to work hard to use role-playing to digest the potion, and avoid situations that might cause you to lose control."
"You digest it so quickly... But I'm almost done too. I just need to finish it. Maybe we'll see some results next week."
Caroline was talking, and suddenly, she felt that Klein had something else in his words, so she asked again:
"Why are you suddenly talking about out-of-control issues? Did you meet an out-of-control Beyonder?"
Klein did not hide it and nodded in acknowledgement:
"He was a former Mandated Punisher, but he has been dealt with. Old Neil and I were on the scene to assist, and Old Neil was accidentally injured."
Klein knew that Caroline and Old Neil had known each other for a long time, and that Old Neil seemed to be helping to conceal her situation, not letting the Nighthawks know about the existence of an outsider Beyonder like her. So during the conversation, he naturally brought up Old Neil's situation.
"Old Neil is injured?"
Caroline asked unexpectedly.
"It's not a serious injury. I just accidentally pierced my hand. It will heal quickly." Klein replied.
"It's hard to say. I think Old Neil is old, and getting injured can easily drain energy for an elderly person."
Caroline shook her head and thought about it.
"I'm leaving anyway, why don't we go visit him before I leave?"
"Go visit Old Neil together?" Klein frowned and thought, "Is this appropriate?"
"That's right. If I go by myself, I can't explain how I know the address. If you go by yourself, it will become a visit between colleagues of the Night Watch."
Caroline explained with good reason.
"And if we go together, it will be a pure visit between friends. At the very least, well, it can be considered as honoring the elderly."
"Old Neil doesn't really accept his age. I don't think he would be happy with you describing him like that."
Klein said with a smile, but he did think that what Caroline said made sense.
"Okay, let's meet at Halls Street on Saturday afternoon, the day after tomorrow."
"Okay, then I'll leave Tingen on Sunday."
After discussing the next arrangements, Caroline leaned back in the high-back chair with some satisfaction, thinking about more specific things.
Klein sat at the head of the long table and looked at Caroline quietly. Suddenly, he remembered something and said in a teasing tone:
"You know, we have found the whereabouts of Triss, the 'instigator'."
"The Beyonder who caused the Clover tragedy?"
Caroline spoke subconsciously after hearing Klein's words, but then she felt something was wrong.
"Wait, Triss? Her? Isn't that guy a man?"
"She was..."
Klein suppressed his smile and said to Caroline:
"But, she seems to have turned into a female due to the power of the potion. This seems to be a phenomenon that is bound to happen in their entire path. All the high-ranking members of the witch sect are women, or in other words, women who were transformed from men."
"The power of the potion can also achieve gender change..."
Caroline was about to sigh and make a sharp comment, but suddenly, she realized the real reason why Klein brought up this topic.
"Are you trying to say... there might be a potion that can turn a woman into a man?!"
Klein smiled and nodded.
"It's very possible."
"That's awesome! Ah, God bless me, I can finally get my roots back!"
Although it is not known whether this is true or not, Caroline has already seen enough hope.
In Caroline's eyes, the future is bright at this moment.
After chatting for a while, they felt it was getting late, so they said goodnight and left the gray fog.Chapter 132 Old Neil's StrangenessTitle of the Book: Mystery: Fire and the Fool's Path Author's name: December's Stranding Chapter word count: 3392 words Update time: 2025-06-18 13:00:00
Backlund, in a hotel in the west district.
The "witch" Triss, who escaped from Tingen and took a steam train to another place far away from Tingen, finally arrived in Backlund and found a place to stay.
Before she could plan her next move, she received news from Tingen's companions.
Sitting in front of the makeup mirror, Triss looked at herself in the mirror with a complicated expression.
With a sigh, she smeared a strange mass evenly on the mirror.
After waiting quietly for a while, she saw waves on the mirror like ripples on the water.
Then, the mirror became blurry at first, and then soon the figure of a beautiful and graceful lady appeared in it.
"Have you arrived in Backlund?"
Mrs. Sharon in the mirror smiled sweetly, which made Triss, who knew her true face, feel very uncomfortable.
"It's already been settled. I'm just waiting to meet my companions here." Triss answered casually, seeming absent-minded.
"That's good. Backlund's companions will definitely give you a warm welcome."
Mrs. Sharon smiled, and then she asked meaningfully.
"A lady with a special temperament has recently come to Tingen. She has long light golden hair. Have you seen her?"
Triss frowned strangely. She didn't understand why Madam Sharon suddenly asked about this topic.
She was about to shake her head when she suddenly recalled the lady she met in the underground market of the Dragon Bar before she became a "witch".
Long light golden hair, special temperament... Triss narrowed her eyes slightly. She seemed to have seen such a person before. Now recalling it, she did feel that the lady seemed to have a temperament different from other young ladies.
That kind of temperament was very special, but Triss didn't know how to describe it for a moment.
"I have seen someone with a similar appearance, but I didn't pay much attention to it at the time."
After thinking for a while, Triss replied.
"Um...you don't know her, do you?"
Triss asked doubtfully:
"Why do you think I know her?"
"Hehe, it's just a random feeling."
Madam Sharon curled her red lips slightly, revealing a charming smile that could make countless young talents fall in love with her, but in Triss's eyes, this smile only made her feel very unhappy, because this smile had a similar meaning to the smile she had that night when she told her the truth about the "Assassin"'s journey.
Who is she trying to attract to become a "witch"? The lady with long blond hair? But don't they always prefer men...
Triss looked at the figure of Madam Sharon in the mirror in front of her with complicated thoughts. Even though she had become "one of them", she still couldn't understand what these witches were thinking.
...
It was a little after three on Saturday afternoon when the afternoon heat began to fade and the streets no longer seemed so scorching.
With the end of the Triss incident, Klein had some free time off. He dressed neatly, held a cane, and walked calmly off the public carriage.
Even in such sunny weather, Klein still did not choose lighter clothes.
Perhaps, as he said before, this was a necessary trade-off for the sake of grace, or perhaps it had become a habit that he had developed subtly.
Arriving at the Howers district, Klein walked to the door of the department store as agreed. There, in the sufficient shade, he saw Caroline, who was wearing slightly lighter clothes than him.
But in the latter's hand, there was a bouquet of flowers.
"What are you doing with the flowers?"
Klein walked up to Caroline, and after greeting her, he couldn't help but ask in confusion.
"I brought it for old Neil. You can't come to visit empty-handed."
Caroline answered seriously, and she didn't seem to think there was anything wrong with it.
"Bring flowers when you visit someone... We're not visiting a patient, nor do we mean to wish Old Neil a speedy recovery... Why don't you just buy a basket of fruit instead?"
"It's not impossible?"
Looking at Caroline's blue eyes, Klein twitched the corner of his mouth and smiled helplessly:
"From what I know about Old Neil, if you really want to bring him a gift, you might as well bring him some coffee beans or a can of fine tea. I think he likes these practical things more than flowers."
Caroline glanced inside the department store and asked Klein tentatively:
"How about we go buy it now?"
"Forget it...if this continues, a home visit will really turn into serious care."
Klein patted Caroline on the shoulder and quickly took her away from the entrance of the department store to prevent her from really running out to buy more bags of things.
But since the flowers had already been bought, Klein had no choice but to let Caroline continue to bring them.
After leaving Halls Street, the two boarded a public carriage at the stop on the next street and headed towards old Neil's house.
Soon, they got off the bus at the station in the northern suburbs. The next distance was for the two of them to walk.
"Old Neil's residence is really quiet..."
Caroline looked at the hills and forests that were already visible in the distance, and then looked at the density of houses around her that had obviously become sparse and empty, and sighed.
"After all, Old Neil is a member of the Nighthawks, and he lives alone. He usually practices some ritual magic at home, so naturally the fewer other residents around him, the better."
Klein walked side by side with Caroline, looking at the single-family house in the distance, and answered Caroline in a brisk tone.
"Old Neil lives alone? He's not married?" Caroline was a little surprised when she thought of how Old Neil looked like, although he was old, he was still very energetic.
"He was married before, but unfortunately, his wife passed away and they had no children."
"Hiss...poor old Neil." Caroline pursed her lips and nodded, restraining her emotions a little.
"No wonder you said Old Neil always takes you with him. I feel like he treats you as his child."
Klein stumbled and glanced at Caroline unhappily.
"If I were younger and old Neil was older, we could totally be considered grandfather and grandson!"
"What does it matter? It's the relationship between generations!"
The two chatted back and forth and soon arrived in front of Old Neil's single-family house.
Walking through the garden planted with roses and golden mint, Klein took a few steps forward, stood at the door and knocked on it, while Caroline stood slightly behind him, holding a flower in her hand.
"Hold on!"
Old Neil's voice sounded soon after the knock on the door, and there seemed some urgency in his words.
Not long after, Klein and Caroline heard a burst of rapid footsteps coming from behind the door, accompanied by Old Neil's mumbling.
The wooden door opened with a click. Old Neil stuck his head out and was surprised to see Klein at the door.
"Klein?"
Then, he saw Caroline standing behind Klein.
His eyes widened a little, and his gaze kept moving back and forth between the two of them, as if he was wondering why this combination of two people appeared in front of him.
"Good afternoon, old Neil!"
Caroline hurried forward, greeted Old Neil, and handed the flowers in her hand to him.
Old Neil took the flower woodenly and responded a few times subconsciously. Then he reacted and pointed at Caroline a few times, asking in confusion:
"What are you doing…?"
Klein pressed the brim of his hat and replied with a smile:
"Caroline helped my sister before, so we met. She came this time because she was going back to Backlund, so she wanted to visit her as a friend before she left."
Klein deliberately emphasized the word "friend" and winked at Old Neil, using an eye hint.
Old Neil, who probably understood the situation, nodded implicitly without asking any further questions. He then put on a smile, opened the door a little further, and invited the two of them in.
Under Old Neil's deliberate arrangement, Caroline walked in front and entered the living room first. Old Neil and Klein walked behind, holding flowers in their hands, and whispered:
"How did you get to know her?"
Klein casually gave the excuse he had prepared long ago. In his answer, he and Caroline met at the underground trading market in the Dragon Bar.
Because he had heard about Caroline's situation before, he paid more attention to her when he met her. He asked a few questions and unexpectedly opened up a conversation with his sister through Old Neil.
At the same time, according to Klein's narration, Caroline is now half of his "informant".
The reason that Klein had put together was much more reliable than what Caroline's pen pal had said before, and Old Neil had no doubts about it.
"Has she officially become a Beyonder now?"
Old Neil spoke softly. Klein glanced at him and saw that his cloudy eyes did not look directly at Caroline. He did not know whether his psychic vision was activated or not.
"Yes, she is now a Sequence 9 Hunter."
Klein thought about it and felt that there was no point in hiding it from Old Neil.
Old Neil nodded a few times, then quickly walked to the kitchen and said to Caroline and Klein with a smile:
"Please sit down for a moment. I'll go get you a cup of tea."
Klein responded, walked over to Caroline who was looking at the decorations in the house, and asked:
"What are you looking at?"
"Looking at the layout of the house, it feels like a typical home for elderly people living alone... Well, there's no old-age smell in the air, but there's an inexplicable fragrance, which is different from my grandparents' room."
Caroline glanced at the piano in the living room and then looked away.
"It should be the residue of some essential oil." Klein answered casually.
"Speaking of which…" Caroline leaned close to Klein's ear and pointed at Old Neil in the kitchen, "Is Old Neil's hand still not healed? Look, he's still wrapped in bandages."
Following Caroline's guidance, Klein also saw the white color on Old Neil's left hand.
"Hmm? That's strange. I remember Old Neil should have removed the bandage yesterday..."
Klein frowned. In his memory, the wound on Old Neil's body had already scabbed over the day after he was injured. There was no reason why he had to be bandaged today.
"Maybe it was accidentally broken again? I couldn't help picking the scabs when I was a child." Caroline thought for a moment and gave a possible reason.
"Old Neil isn't a kid anymore..."
Klein answered speechlessly.
"It's hard to say. What if they still have a childlike innocence? This is a manifestation of youth."
Caroline walked to the round table in the living room with a smile, holding the chair and prepared to sit down.
But suddenly, before she could sit firmly, a strange wave suddenly swept across her body, as if it wanted to see through everything about her.
Caroline's whole body stiffened, and goose bumps appeared on her skin uncontrollably. She stood up from the chair.
For no reason, without any logic, she actually felt a sense of being watched coming from nowhere.Chapter 133 The Eyes BehindTitle of the Book: Mystery: Fire and the Fool's Path Author's name: December's Stranding Chapter word count: 3026 words Update time: 2025-06-18 18:00:00
Klein was about to pull out a chair and sit down, but Caroline suddenly stood up in front of him and looked around with burning eyes like a hound that smelled a stranger.
"What's wrong?" he asked puzzledly.
"Shh…" Caroline raised her hand in front of Klein, signaling him to be quiet. Then she quickly scanned the surroundings, from the ceiling of the living room to every corner of the wall, trying to find the source of the feeling of being watched.
However, no matter how Caroline observed the environment, she still could not find the specific source of this feeling of being watched.
The experience was very familiar, and although it had been a month, Caroline immediately recalled the first time she had a similar feeling.
That was her first time in Tingen and her first time going to the Dragon Bar.
That night, she also noticed this inexplicable peeping.
However, the feeling of being watched was clearly that Old Neil was using his psychic vision to examine himself. That's what the "report" said…
Wait, Old Neil…?
Caroline's wandering eyes were suddenly fixed on old Neil who was making tea in the kitchen because of this earth-shattering inspiration.
There were two times when the feeling of being watched appeared, and both times Old Neil was there…
Although the "report" said that Old Neil was using psychic vision to examine himself, the "report" did not clearly indicate that was the source of the voyeuristic feeling...
After becoming a "hunter", Caroline experienced this sense of being watched again, and what she felt was much clearer and deeper than last time.
It was an obvious gaze that carried some malice, and was definitely not the feeling brought about by the so-called "spiritual vision examination"!
Caroline's keen perception of the environment and her spiritual premonition that something was wrong were telling her this fact.
In Old Neil's house...or rather, there is something around Old Neil...
Klein watched as Caroline's expression became increasingly strange. He realized something was wrong and was about to ask her when she reached out and pressed his shoulder.
Feeling the grip on his shoulder, Klein could clearly sense Caroline's uneasiness at the moment.
"I feel a sense of malicious surveillance..." Caroline lowered her head to Klein's ear and spoke to him in Chinese in the lowest possible voice.
Caroline's long hair fell down and scattered on Klein's cheeks, making him feel itchy. He could even smell the fragrance from Caroline's body that came from nowhere, but now, all of Klein's attention was focused on what she had just said.
"Voyeurism?" Klein frowned, repeatedly weighing the weight of this word.
But Caroline continued:
"The last time I met Old Neil in the bar, I felt the same sense of being watched."
"You've been with Old Neil for a long time. Have you ever noticed anything unusual around him?"
As soon as these words came out, Klein, who was still considering the current situation, suddenly felt a surge of emotions in his mind.
He suddenly recalled the almost transparent, unreal and strange eye he saw behind Old Neil when he first taught him how to open his clairvoyance!
Moreover, at that time, he also saw a strange transparent figure at the door of the alchemy room!
And on the day when he digested the "Fortune Teller" potion, he tried to observe old Neil with his clairvoyance again, but the latter suddenly broke out into a violent coughing fit without any warning!
And, and...and Old Neil's left hand should have almost recovered, but now it is bandaged again!
Klein's brain suddenly felt numb, and a tinnitus that was both near and far suddenly exploded in his ears.
As a "fortune teller" who had successfully completed the role-playing and digested the potion, these signs were enough for him to make a terrible judgment.
Something was not right with Old Neil. Very wrong!
Thinking of this, Klein quickly reached into his pocket and took out a coin with the stern face of George III.
He looked hesitantly in the direction of the kitchen, a little worried that Old Neil would notice his action.
Caroline noticed Klein's eyes and immediately understood what he meant and walked in front of him to block the possible gaze from Old Neil.
Klein forced a smile, then he quickly organized the divination sentence, concentrated his mind, his eyes turned black, and he entered a meditative state.
"Old Neil is not in the right state now..."
Klein kept repeating the divination sentence in his mind. With a thought, he flicked the coin with his thumb.
The copper penny flew into the air, then quickly fell down and was caught steadily by Klein.
Klein and Caroline both clearly saw the result of the coin toss, and the coin was staring at them with cold and merciless eyes.
George III's head is facing upwards, so the divination result is positive!
This means that Old Neil's current condition is definitely not right!
The sense of being watched that Caroline felt was most likely closely related to this!
By the way, what was Old Neil doing before they knocked on the door?
"The result is not good, right?" Looking at Klein's face, which seemed to be about to turn into a stone slab engraved with cuneiform, Caroline knew what the result of the divination would be.
Klein nodded slightly. His thoughts were now quite confused, but he was still trying to stay calm.
There is something wrong with Old Neil. We should tell the captain about this as soon as possible and let the Nighthawks come and deal with it.
However, the journey from the Night Watchers headquarters to Old Neil's house takes at least forty minutes, which means nearly an hour and a half there and back.
He couldn't guarantee that there wouldn't be any new changes in Old Neil's condition during the time they were away.
Therefore, there must be someone here to watch over Old Neil, and another person to notify the Night Watchman.
Let Caroline watch old Neil?
No, that's not possible. Caroline has no experience dealing with out-of-control Beyonders. And according to her, she had felt watched more than once, which meant that she was probably being watched as well.
Letting her stay at old Neil's house would definitely not be a good choice.
So, let her go and inform the Nighthawks, while I stay here to watch over old Neil?
Klein reached into his pocket and grabbed a few hard objects.
Those were a few talismans he carried with him. Ever since he learned how to make them, he had been carrying a few basic talismans with him.
Just as Klein was planning how to get Caroline out and go to Blackthorn Security Company to inform the Nighthawk, the latter whispered:
"Don't act hastily. We haven't confirmed the situation at Old Neil's home yet."
She spoke slowly, her eyes fixed on the stairs leading to the second floor of Old Neil's house.
"Are you worried that there might be someone else in Old Neil's family?"
Klein immediately understood Caroline's thoughts.
"It's not just this worry, there are many other possibilities..." Caroline murmured. She turned to look at Klein and asked, "Can you tell me more details?"
"If there is enough time..."
Klein said, looking behind Caroline.
Caroline nodded in understanding and turned around to see Old Neil walking towards them with a tray and a teacup.
"Sorry for the long wait. If I had known earlier, I should have boiled the water later. Then the water temperature would have been enough for making tea, and there would have been no need to heat it again."
Old Neil smiled kindly, just like he did in his daily life, and there was nothing wrong with it.
Caroline pursed her lips, made up her mind, and immediately put on an awkward gesture, forcing her face to turn slightly red, and then said to Old Neil:
"Well, Neil, I want to ask where is the bathroom in your house?"
Old Neil was stunned for a moment, then he laughed out loud, pointed in a direction for Caroline and said:
"Go inside, the one with the round handle... Okay, we'll be waiting for you."
"Thanks!"
Caroline turned quickly, winked at Klein, and walked quickly to the bathroom.
Klein nodded slightly and took the opportunity to pull Old Neil aside to start a conversation to distract his attention.
Old Neil's bathroom was not far from the living room and could be seen directly from the round table, so Caroline couldn't take the opportunity to go anywhere else.
However, she didn't need to go anywhere else.
Entering the bathroom, Caroline turned around and locked the door, but the lingering feeling of being watched still surrounded her.
Without thinking too much, nor daring to think too much, Caroline didn't even dare to create a spiritual wall, but she had tried it before, and the action of unfolding the "Void Cube" would not cause any spiritual fluctuations.
Taking out the "Silver Spoon" from her clothes, Caroline whispered the three honorific names:
"The omniscient and omnipotent God, the king of the endless void, the one to whom all things return to one..."
The illusory cube unfolded in Caroline's hands as usual, and with a thought, she immediately entered the solid space.
The moment the "Void Cube" fell, the feeling of being watched that enveloped Caroline suddenly disappeared.
Without having time to consider this change, Caroline hurriedly looked at the "map" in the space.
The interior structure of Old Neil's single-family house is clearly visible in the all-encompassing bird's-eye view.
Only three dots were shown inside the house, proving that no one else was inside.
Caroline had just breathed a sigh of relief when she caught a glimpse of the stacked "reports" emerging from the corner of her eye.
Unlike usual times, the "report" at the top was emitting a light that was hard to ignore, as if it was breathing, rising and falling.
At the same time, it also seems like some kind of alarm.
Realizing that something was wrong, Caroline quickly grabbed the feather-light paper.
The title was written in black text, in a much bolder font than other news reports:
"The Eyes Behind"
And below, the main text and comments section, which would have been filled with a lot of text, now only have a short line each:
"The animated "Secret Peer" ■■■, the Hidden Sage, is watching you. "
—"He will see the true omniscience..."Chapter 134 Cube UnfoldingTitle of the Book: Mystery: Fire and the Fool's Path Author's name: December's Stranding Chapter word count: 3227 words Update time: 2025-06-19 13:06:39
Klein could easily guess what Caroline wanted to do in the bathroom. It was very interesting to say that these people with secrets seemed to have a special liking for the bathroom.
He quickly glanced in the direction of the bathroom, then came back to his senses and focused his attention on Old Neil, chatting with him about some irrelevant topics to distract his thoughts.
"It has been a long time since I heard sounds I shouldn't have heard, or saw things I shouldn't have seen... I think this means that I am about to fully master the potion."
Klein talked about the topic he had talked about with Dunn Smith before. This was the prelude he had originally prepared for submitting a special application for himself. Now there would be no problem in talking about it again with Old Neil.
"It's amazing. It's only been a month since you were promoted to a Beyonder? You've already mastered potions so quickly..."
Old Neil said in surprise.
"Well, I think it may have something to do with my frequent visits to the Divination Club. At the same time, I am also trying to come up with a set of summaries of my own behavior... It was probably after the failure of hunting down Triss that my mastery of potions improved to a higher level."
Klein said, removing the details of the role-playing method and describing his behavior in the most natural language possible. However, he felt like a student who, after seeing the answer, tried to deceive the teacher by using a completely different approach.
"Yes, yes, this idea is very worthy of deep thought..."
Old Neil responded casually, and it seemed that he didn't care about this information which was of great significance to the Beyonders.
He just focused on Klein himself. After looking at him with some emotion for a while, he chuckled and said:
"Klein, maybe you could be a genius."
"I have met many extraordinary people, but you are the first young man as smart and intelligent as you."
"To be honest, the speed at which you mastered the potion is already amazing. You know, the last person who could do this was the 'psychic' Daly."
Klein shook his head modestly and replied:
"There's still a big gap between me and Ms. Daly."
"Believe me, my intuition is never wrong. When Daly became a Nighthawk, I witnessed her progress with my own eyes... Well, I see similar qualities in you that she had back then." Old Neil chuckled. His long experience made it not surprising for him to say this.
After taking a sip of tea, Old Neil suddenly sighed and said:
"Speaking of which, Dunn was also full of vigor and vitality at the time, but his promotion speed was unusually slow. While Daley was promoted rapidly, he was still lingering in the same place, and the gap between the two widened..."
Old Neil said this regretfully, and suddenly glanced at Klein.
"You must know how to seize opportunities, little Klein... Don't be like Dunn and me, and regret it in the future."
Kleinben listened to Old Neil normally, but after hearing this, he was a little confused.
"Uh, what do you mean by taking a chance?"
Old Neil looked at him mysteriously, then looked in the direction of the bathroom, then smiled and said:
"You will understand."
Then he picked up the cup and was about to drink tea.
Suddenly, Klein noticed that Old Neil's eyes suddenly became dull, and the expression on his face disappeared inexplicably. He became stunned and at a loss.
"Old Neil?" Klein's eyes fixed on the question as he carefully pinched the talisman in his pocket.
At this moment, he heard the sound of flushing in the bathroom. Then, soon, the door was pushed open and Caroline walked out quickly.
"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting for so long."
Caroline said apologetically, looking towards Klein.
Klein saw a hint of stiffness hidden beneath that apologetic smile on her face.
The situation doesn't seem to be very good...
At the same time, Old Neil also recovered from his daze and said with a slightly weak look:
"Nothing, just a little distracted."
Then, he also glanced at Caroline, but didn't say anything. He just watched her walk to the round table and pull out a chair next to Klein and sit down.
"Well, this visit was a little hasty. Klein originally told me that I could bring some tea or coffee beans as gifts, but I only brought flowers."
Caroline said as she drew symbols on Crane's leg with her fingers.
Klein leaned back a little and watched Caroline's movements out of the corner of his eye.
He immediately recognized that the symbol Caroline drew was three simple English letters, and putting them together meant...
"GOD", God...!
God? What god? Klein was thinking when he noticed that Caroline added another word.
"EVIL", evil...the combination makes it a very Chinese English word, evil god!
Is there any evil factor involved in Old Neil's abnormality?
Klein was stunned, while Old Neil was muttering softly across the round table:
"It's okay, it's okay..."
"Well... I will be leaving Tingen by car in the evening. It seems that I won't be able to enjoy this wonderful cup of black tea comfortably." Caroline said, looking up at Klein, and then looking at Old Neil.
Klein immediately understood what she meant and planned to use the same method to "write down" the information about Blackthorn Security Company and tell Caroline.
"Are you leaving so soon?" He responded to Caroline's words, paving the way for her to leave later.
"Yeah, if you look at the time, it's almost time now."
Caroline took out her pocket watch and glanced at it, but her attention was not on the hands.
"Okay, be careful on the road. Do you need me to take you to the train station?" Klein asked with concern.
"No, no, I'm familiar with the way to the train station."
Caroline smiled and responded in a relaxed tone.
Old Neil's expression was always very dazed, as if he hadn't heard what the two said at all. He just stared blankly ahead at the two people.
"So when are you leaving?"
As Klein spoke, he began to write the words "Blackthorn Security Company" in Chinese on Caroline's leg.
"In fact, we should leave almost now."
Caroline answered, concentrating on deciphering the words written by Klein.
Just when all the rhythms seemed to have been properly mastered by the two of them, suddenly, Old Neil spoke.
"Are you really just going to the steam train station?"
Old Neil's words froze the two men's minds. They looked at the former at the same time and saw that Old Neil's expression had become inexplicably cold and ruthless. His cloudy eyes stared at them without any emotion.
Klein's thoughts paused, and then his spiritual warning began to sound the alarm.
Something is wrong! Old Neil seems to have discovered something!
"Ahahaha, indeed, besides the train station, I also want to go to other places to bring back some local specialties."
Caroline smiled happily and quietly took Klein's hand away from under the table.
"For example, the Tingen specialty... the round table!"
Her voice suddenly became louder, and she raised her hand to grab the bottom edge of the round table, using her "Hunter"'s extraordinary strength to overturn the table unexpectedly.
The tea and plates on the table were all poured over, falling to the ground and breaking into pieces, with water stains splashing all over the floor.
Klein reacted quickly, stood up from his chair and stepped back, but Caroline overturned the table and rushed forward, using the tabletop to press down on Old Neil.
Old Neil, who was inferior to Caroline in age, condition, and extraordinary strength, was unable to react in time. The flying table completely covered him, knocking him and his chair to the ground.
After a moment of pain, Old Neil seemed to regain consciousness and exclaimed:
"What are you going to do!?"
However, Klein clearly saw that one of Old Neil's hands had reached into his clothes and was grabbing something.
Without hesitation, Klein quickly took out the "Sleeping Spell" from his pocket and shouted to Caroline:
"Back off!"
Caroline reacted immediately, stretched out her legs and kicked the table, then leaped back to create space for Klein.
Klein grabbed the talisman tightly, poured his spirituality into it, and threw it directly at Old Neil and shouted in ancient Hermetic:
"Night!"
A faint light appeared on the flying talisman, and then, soon after, half of the living room seemed to be enveloped by a tranquil and peaceful atmosphere, completely covering the area where Old Neil was.
Old Neil, who was pressed by the table, gradually calmed down. His struggling movements were obviously slowed down, and his eyes gradually closed. He was being controlled by the power of sleep and was brought into a peaceful sleep.
But at this moment, Old Neil's eyes, which were about to close, suddenly opened, and he looked at Klein and Caroline in anger, surprise, and madness.
"It's useless! The power of these spells has no effect on me!"
The effect of the spell is actually useless? !
Klein looked in astonishment at Old Neil who began to struggle again under the table. He had tried the effect of the "Sleeping Spell" many times, so there was no reason why Old Neil could resist it without any preparation.
Just as Klein was about to cast another "Sleeping Spell" or simply use the "Dream Spell" to drag Old Neil into a dream, Caroline reached out to stop him.
"It's not the spell, it's the eyes behind old Neil."
As she spoke, she took out the "Silver Spoon" without hesitation.
"The omniscient and omnipotent God...!"
"The King of the Endless Void...!"
"All things return to one…!"
A spell that did not belong to this world was recited quietly, and a silver-gray "Void Cube" quietly emerged.
Driven by her thoughts, Caroline controlled the "Void Cube" to unfold in the living room.
But this time, the scope of the expansion was much larger. In addition to covering Caroline and Klein, it also covered Old Neil under the table.
The solid space slowly descended, and the outside world was gradually isolated.
Suddenly, old Neil, who was struggling frantically, seemed to lose his motivation and became lost and confused.
Klein looked at this change with half shock and half delight. Without giving it much thought, he took out the "Sleeping Spell" again.
"Night!"
The silver talisman flew through the air and fell next to Old Neil.
There came another breath of sleep, and this time, Old Neil did not resist.
His expression gradually calmed down, with a smile on his face, he lay on the ground and fell into a deep sleep.