Mystery: The Last Shepherd

Chapter 207 Fishing
"That's not your ability, is it?"

After conceding defeat, Olivia stood up from the ground and asked. Although she had been defeated, she seemed relatively calm.

"It is an extraordinary item."

"I see, then that's not surprising."

Olivia smiled amiably. "I knew it. I felt your sequence was a bit lower than mine, yet you managed to beat me. But a win is a win. Now, Madam's entertainment ends here."

The two returned together to the parasol.

There, everyone was looking at them.

“Madam, this young girl has passed my test; she is capable of protecting Miss Audrey’s safety.”

Olivia bowed.

"Thank you for your hard work. I have seen the details."

The Countess smiled, then turned to her daughter, "Audrey, from now on, it's up to you."

Two days later, in the western suburbs of the North District, at the former site of the Backlund Medical School.

The deserted campus exuded decay, with weeds sprouting rampantly from the cracks in the bricks and stones. The buildings stood silently, most of them abandoned and unused, their exteriors peeling and crumbling. Occasionally, stray cats and dogs would wander around, but would immediately scurry away warily at the sight of anyone approaching.

Inside an abandoned three-story building.

Lu Ze, with his sister in tow, followed behind Audrey.

"As I said before, my actions may attract the attention of others. If they just follow me, that's fine, but if they attack me, then I'll have to ask you to protect me."

Audrey wore a mask, covered her smooth, shiny blonde hair with a surgical cap, and was wrapped in a white coat, looking like a medical worker about to perform surgery.

Lu Ze and the other person were dressed the same.

What a restless employer!
He thought to himself.

After passing the test, Miss Audrey and the others had a special contract "notarized" to ensure their guardianship relationship and that they would not harm each other. During this process, Luze also figured out what Audrey was planning to do.

She wanted to establish contact with a secretive and extraordinary organization on her own.

What the heck? We were supposed to go to a banquet and a salon.
That's really asking for trouble!

Thinking about this, he couldn't help but feel a headache coming on.

Lu Ze looked at Audrey ahead of him. She was walking briskly, and stray golden hairs escaped from her surgical cap, falling beside her ears and swaying slightly with her steps.

No wonder the Countess arranged for people to protect her; the previous time she encountered her, it was the same—she was so bold as to sneak into the mental hospital.
He thought to himself.

The three of them walked through the dark corridor and entered a classroom.

As soon as I entered, the unpleasant and pungent smell of preservatives wafted into my nose through my mask.

Lu Ze looked up and scanned the room, finding it filled with human specimens and skeletons. In the center of the classroom stood a transparent glass cylinder; through the glass, he could see a pale male corpse preserved in a preservative solution. Strangely, the corpse was dressed in a black academic gown.

Tables and chairs were scattered throughout the classroom, and quite a few people were already seated. They, too, were wearing masks and white coats to conceal their identities. Hearing someone enter, they all turned around and looked at the three people.

Perhaps influenced by the atmosphere in the classroom, none of them spoke.

They're just pretending to be superstitious.
Lu Ze glanced at the group of people, then he and Audrey chose a corner to sit down.

After about three to five minutes, the male corpse in the glass column suddenly opened his eyes, and a strange sound echoed in the classroom through the preservative solution and the glass cover.

"let's start."

It said in a hoarse voice.

And so, under its watchful gaze, everyone began the transaction with awe and caution.

The corpse floated inside the glass pillar, watching everyone and occasionally speaking.

Lu Ze watched coldly. "Whoosh—"

As the illusory sound of ocean waves arose, the world before him changed. He saw that what was submerged in the glass column was just an ordinary corpse, neither with its eyes open nor speaking.

However, everyone at the party seemed to be immersed in a hallucination, occasionally conversing with the lifeless male corpse. They either asked it to witness transactions or sought answers to their questions, as if it were a large-scale, eerie performance.

A very peculiar way of organizing a gathering.

Lu Ze thought to himself.

There are many gatherings, big and small, in Backlund; he's already attended three. The Queen's gathering is the most high-class, the Eye of Wisdom's gathering is the most egalitarian, but this gathering is the most arrogant. The organizers completely manipulate the attendees, surrounding them in a fantasy world with psychological suggestion, showing them absolutely no respect.

Lu Ze didn't like this approach; he saw glimpses of that damned Ms. M at the party.

Who is the host?
His gaze swept across the faces of everyone at the party, and based on the levels of the potion sequences within them, he spotted the most suspicious person. This person sat in a corner, remaining silent, but was clearly at least Sequence 6.

Perhaps it was he who changed everyone's perception and created an illusion.
"I want the potion from the 'audience' pathway."

The transactions continued, some successful, most unsuccessful. At that moment, Miss Audrey suddenly spoke up.

Several people glanced at her, but quickly looked away, not lingering for long. Luze noticed that among them was the Sequence 6 Beyonder.

"Does nobody have it?"

After waiting for about ten seconds, Audrey said with feigned regret, "Alright then."

Although she is actually a mind reader of Sequence 8 of the "Audience" pathway, she acts like a naive newcomer who is unfamiliar with the ways of the world.

The party ended quickly, and the three of them got into a carriage and left.

Are you sure this kind of probing will work?

Lu Ze asked from inside the carriage.

"I think it will be useful."

Audrey replied, "Because the 'Audience' potion I'm looking to buy is a sequence pathway controlled by this organization, they'll notice me."

She had already taken off her cumbersome white coat and was all smiles. "However, it is because of your protection that I dared to take such a bold action."

"Audience" approach?

Lu Ze recalled that when the other person first met him, it seemed as if they had peered into his mind. Those slightly golden eyes almost made him mistake them for Ms. M.

“Miss Audrey, you are now Sequence 8 of this pathway, right?”

"Yes."

"So, what's the name of this secret organization you mentioned?"

"It should be called the 'Psychological Alchemy Society'."

Audrey replied.

The Psychological Alchemy Society is described in the Night Watchers' information. It seems to be an organization that has existed for nearly a century, gradually developing by accumulating initial capital through the excavation of Hermes' ruins.

His heart moved slightly.

They must have studied the human psyche, right?
Perhaps I can use them to treat my mental condition?

In that case, if Audrey really connects with them, it will also be helpful to me.
Just then, he suddenly sensed that an extraordinary being was approaching.

"We're being followed."

"Luze said to Audrey."

(End of this chapter)