My bloodline yearns for progress.

Chapter 96 The Key (Second Update, Please Subscribe)

Thinking of this, Otto immediately quickened his pace and headed toward Juliet's tailor shop.

When he parted ways with Juliet's ghost, Otto had already obtained the exact address of the tailor shop, so he wouldn't get lost in the maze of alleyways.

However, whenever Otto walked down the street, his moon silver carved armor would always make a jingling sound.

Each plate of the armor was meticulously polished, with intricate moonlight patterns carved along the edges, gleaming with a cold silver light in the sunlight.

As it walks, the scales collide with each other, making a sound that is particularly clear on the quiet street, attracting the attention of many pedestrians.

Women holding children curiously peeked out, children playing stopped and pointed, and several adventurers sitting at the tavern entrance drinking scrutinized him from head to toe.

Otto ignored the curious or inquisitive gazes around him.

He lowered his head slightly and continued walking in the direction guided by Juliet's soul in his memory, his steps steady and not showing any panic.

Otto knew perfectly well that he was there to act as bait alongside Tessa, and attracting attention was actually a good thing.

In this way, the shaman of the primal god Grak, who was lurking in the shadows, would surely take notice of him. After all, the decoy tactic of the Dragonbreaker Squad could not succeed by keeping a low profile.

As Otto pondered his next plan and walked along the street, Juliet's tailor shop came into view.

This is a small shop located on a street corner. The storefront is not large, but it is kept very clean.

The shop's exterior walls were painted with a soft off-white paint, and the window frames were made of dark brown wood, with several pale purple vines climbing on them, blooming freely in the sunlight.

Through the spotless glass window, Otto could see several custom-made coats hanging inside.

The coats were well-tailored and made of exquisite fabrics. There were dark gray wool coats, navy blue wool coats, and a black velvet coat with delicate lace embroidery at the collar.

Although Otto didn't know much about tailoring, he could tell even through the window that these coats were quite valuable.

The stitches are fine and even, the pattern is crisp and well-shaped, and every detail is handled impeccably.

Clearly, these were samples that Juliette had specially displayed to attract customers during her lifetime, and each piece embodies her hard work and skill.

"Looks like we've come to the right place."

Otto let out a long sigh of relief, his tense shoulders relaxing slightly.

He stood at the shop entrance, looked around, and after confirming that there were no suspicious people nearby, he immediately bent down and began looking for the keys.

According to Juliette, she occasionally forgets her keys at home, so she keeps a spare key under a flowerpot outside, just in case.

A row of terracotta flowerpots was placed at the entrance of the shop, filled with all kinds of flowers and plants, all of which were in season.

Although these plants lacked Juliet's care, plants that can survive late autumn are inherently very resilient and don't require much attention.

Otto turned over the flowerpots one by one, soil and petals sticking to his fingernails and bringing with them a strange fragrance.

But at that moment, the Soul-Crossing Black Cat sent a warning to the Fire Seed Iron Guard.

[The Soul-Crossing Black Cat reminds you that the third one from the left shows signs of disturbed soil.]

Otto knew that the black cat already possessed remarkable observational skills and a keen grasp of details. Now, after becoming the Soul-Crossing Black Cat, it seemed to have gained even more acute perception, which could be considered an enhancement of its own characteristics.

With the help of the Soul-Crossing Black Cat, Otto naturally saved himself a lot of trouble.

He immediately looked at the third flowerpot on the left, which was filled with exotic flowers and plants. Although Otto couldn't name the flowers, the yellow center of the flower with its large white petals was quite pleasing to the eye.

Just as he gently moved the flowerpot aside, he saw his target: a brass key lying quietly in the soil, with a small rose pattern engraved on the key handle, echoing the floral pattern on the lock.

"Thanks, Soul-Crossing Black Cat."

Otto thought to himself, then carefully wiped the dirt off the key.

He knew that although these animal friends had no physical form, they were always by his side.

It seems that as Otto advances, they exhibit more and more characteristics.

Otto didn't want to neglect them, lest they cause any more trouble.

However, the black cat that carried the soul remained aloof and showed no respect for Otto's thanks.

[The Soul-Crossing Black Cat suggests you wipe the mud off your boots before going in; the dwelling place of the dead should be treated with respect.]

Otto looked down at his boots and, sure enough, the soles were covered in mud and a few dry leaves.

He nodded, but did not open the door immediately. Instead, he slowly took a few steps back and carefully wiped the mud off his boots on the wool blanket embroidered with needlework patterns by the door until the soles were clean.

He then walked back to the door and inserted the brass key into the lock.

However, after seeing the suggestion from the Soul-Crossing Black Cat, Otto realized that the black cat was already close to the underworld, and the material used to transform into the Soul-Crossing Black Cat was also the mist of the underworld. It was probably very concerned about this kind of thing, and he needed to deal with it carefully.

Thinking about this, Otto became curious. The Soul-Crossing Black Cat was close to the Underworld, and the Moonlit Spirit Dog was close to the moon. Did the arrogant Magic-Imitation Ape also have similar characteristics?

Just as Otto was pondering this, the tailor shop door slowly opened with a crisp click.

A faint scent of fabric and lavender wafted towards me.

Otto also smelled a similar scent in Juliet's tomb; perhaps lavender was the girl's favorite fragrance.

Otto looked at the shop in front of him. The shop was quiet. Sunlight streamed in through the glass windows, casting dappled shadows on the floor. Tiny dust particles floated in the air, dancing slowly in the beams of light, like a scene from an illustration.

Otto stood at the door, but did not go in immediately.

He stood quietly for a few seconds, as if mourning the unfortunate tailor who had passed away.

After all, this was the last trace Juliet left behind, the place where she lived during her lifetime.

Otto only hoped to preserve it as it was, and to avoid damaging any of the plants or trees.

But just then, the black cat's message reappeared before Otto's eyes, carrying with it a barely perceptible hint of doubt.

[The black cat that ferryes souls says, "Something's not right here."]

"What's wrong?"

"Otto immediately became alert and instinctively gripped the hilt of his sword at his waist."