Fantasy Writers 1860

Chapter 97 Joining Hands for a Grand Event

Two days passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, it was time for the demi-human auction to begin.

The abandoned factory on the riverbank looked no different from usual; it was still dark and gloomy.

But in this darkness, there were several strange figures who led all sorts of people stealthily through the area, eventually disappearing into the shadows.

The underground area beneath this abandoned factory is even more bustling.

Lily, Polina, and Roderick have successfully infiltrated the group.

"Looks like we're lucky; we haven't encountered any difficult checks." Polina linked arms with Lily, seemingly snuggling intimately beside her, but actually whispering in a voice only the two of them could hear, "However, the people here don't seem like simple people."

There was really no proper check at all. They didn't even check the invitation letters. They just briefly checked if anyone was carrying weapons, then gave each person a masquerade mask and let them in.

Those people checking and guiding outside probably don't even recognize who's coming.

Perhaps they assume that everyone who comes here is someone from within the circle.

Lily nodded slightly, her gaze sweeping across the hall like a wolf's.

This underground space was resplendent with gold and jade. Huge crystal chandeliers cast a hazy glow, making the half-faces of everyone wearing masks appear elusive. The air was filled with the scents of expensive perfumes and cigars.

Everyone was wearing a mask that covered half of their face, so no one could tell anyone else apart, making it look like a masquerade ball.

Today, Lily also wore a deep purple evening gown and a very large hat with a curved brim decorated with feathers and ribbons. The hem of her skirt subtly revealed her long legs as she walked. Her makeup was exquisite and aloof, giving her an air of haughtiness that could only be admired from afar.

She hadn't originally planned to change her clothes, but Polina said it wasn't appropriate for her to attend the auction dressed like that.

It's a bit too unconventional for a woman to appear in such an occasion wearing a full men's suit. Being unconventional means being conspicuous, which in turn increases the likelihood of premature exposure.

Lily thought Polina's words made a lot of sense this time, but where she was living now, there were no women's dresses at all, only several identical gowns to change into.

Polina finally revealed her true intentions, pulling out the dress she had prepared beforehand.

"Hehehe, big sister, you look so beautiful today—" Polina whispered affectionately in Lily's ear.

"Stay alert." Lily's eyes never stopped observing.

"Don't worry, Roderick is watching like a shadow." Polina smiled, then put on a sweet and harmless expression and walked toward a middle-aged nobleman who was sipping champagne.

This girl, who is usually quite carefree, always displays extraordinary talent when she needs to put on a facade.

Lily also picked up a glass of red wine nearby, walked gracefully to a corner of the hall, leaned against a huge Roman column, seemingly enjoying her wine leisurely, but in fact taking in all the activity in the entire hall.

"I heard that among the demi-humans to be auctioned this time are experimental subjects created by the cult," two men in tuxedos were whispering to each other.

"What's so special about that? I heard there's a special item up for auction this time—a book." Another man lowered his voice, his tone languid. "Not some ancient magic book, but one that possesses its own power—the Book of Illusions. Ever heard of it?"

Lily was startled.

She had anticipated that clues about the Phantom Book would appear here, but she never expected that it would be auctioned off here.

Could it be that the demi-human auction was just a front, and the Phantom Book was their real objective?

Compared to auctioning smuggled fantasy books, illegally auctioning demi-humans can really be considered a cover-up.

"A phantom book? What is that? I've never heard of it before."

"You'll see soon enough. This is a power even more wondrous than magic and divine arts, yet it has been kept secret by the authorities for a long time."

"You should feel lucky, you're about to witness the truth of the world." The man smiled mysteriously. "Anyway, I'm here for that. If I can get my hands on it, I can resell it to those crazy 'book collectors' and make a fortune."

It seems that this auction is not just about selling demi-humans; the key is the magical books.

As expected, both the Blue Blood Gang and the Cult were involved in the smuggling of the Phantom Book.

But what about the unexpected death of that Iris Book Collector? Did they have anything to do with it? Or were they just distributing the Phantom Book here?

Just as she was about to continue listening, she suddenly felt a gaze fall on her.

She turned her head without making a sound, and bumped right into an old man in the distance.

He was dressed in old-fashioned aristocratic clothing, with an elaborate badge hanging on his chest, making him look like a nobleman.

The old man did not avoid Lily's gaze; instead, he slightly raised his glass to greet her.

Lily returned the smile politely.

The old man's eyes were too calm, as calm as a stagnant pool, completely out of place with the greedy and lustful gazes around him.

"Who is that old guy?" Lily wondered to herself.

She pretended to look away, but continued to observe the old man's actions out of the corner of her eye.

Unlike the others, he didn't chat with them. Instead, he sat quietly in a corner, occasionally flipping through a book whose title he couldn't read, as if waiting for something.

Just then, Polina finished her first round of "intelligence work" and returned to Lily's side with a smile.

"Big sister—" Polina whispered mysteriously in Lily's ear, "There are probably a lot of important people here today, so we don't need to bother spreading rumors."

The original plan was for Polina to operate as a socialite, subtly spreading rumors that a royal agent had infiltrated the area and might be up to something, thus diverting Kirk's attention to the so-called royal agent and reducing potential scrutiny for future actions.

"What kind of people are there?"

"The people who held the secret meeting at the Iris Pantheon, I don't know what they came for, and there were also some bibliophiles among them —"

A secret meeting at the Pantheon? What are they doing here? — No, how did they get the information to find this place?

And what are the book collectors doing here?

Lily frowned. It seemed that there were more audience members than actors on stage today.

This also means that the possibility of accidents has greatly increased.

"Whoever they are, as long as they don't get in our way, we can ignore them for now," Lily said in a deep voice.

As the two were talking in hushed tones, Kirk, in the monitoring room, was standing in a secluded room on a high floor, closely watching everything in the hall, a cold smile on his lips.

"Looks like there are quite a few fish tonight." A cold glint flashed in Kirk's eyes. "I hope you can bring me enough fun, otherwise, this show will be too boring."

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