Mystery: I, the Hermit, am too eager to improve

Chapter 199 Leonard: Did Daly also meet the hermit?

"How could this happen?"

Leonard is unbelievable.

Ince Zangwell...

The enemy he had always held in his heart, the target of his struggle until now, had actually died long ago.

He stood there blankly for a while, then looked at Daly.

"Madam, is it possible that part of Ince's body was reduced to ashes? After all, even a Sequence 5 might not be able to withstand that level of power, right?"

Pales chuckled to himself.

"You actually used your brain this time, but it's just to deceive yourself and cover up your mistake. Ince is probably really dead."

Leonard ignored him.

and.

With Daly right in front of him, he couldn't possibly respond to Pales.

Dai Li gently shook her head.

"That's unlikely. And based on my guess, the captain might have forcibly switched sequences and is now on the same sequence as me, which is why I can sense some subtle changes."

"This...this!"

Leonard is becoming increasingly unbelievable.

According to the common knowledge that the old man had explained before, although the paths of the Sleepless and the Corpse Collector are adjacent, one can only switch between them without any cost once one reaches Sequence 4 or above.

The captain was only at Sequence 7 when he "died," how could he possibly have done such a thing?

Furthermore, he clearly sensed the captain's presence on that heart; that must be the extraordinary characteristic extracted from the captain—

It is also a seal of the Church of the Night.

3-912.

It will pull people within a certain range into a shared dream and forcibly suppress them for a period of time.

Negative effects...

Amnesia, gradually developing madness, and easily mixed with some special memories.

Those memories come from the night watchmen of Tingen.

That's the source of the captain's amnesia.

Everything points to the fact that Dunn's extraordinary qualities have been extracted and, together with Saint Selena's ashes, have become a special seal.

but.

Dai Li looked determined.

"Dunner is definitely still alive! If you don't believe me, I'll find him myself, anyway..."

She paused slightly, suddenly remembering that she still owed debts—

Those two rolling professors.

They are the targets that the Hermit wants to kill.

She took a deep breath.

"After things are settled in Backlund, I'll apply to become a Red Glove. I'll definitely find him!"

"this--"

Leonard was slightly taken aback, not expecting Daly to be so resolute.

He hesitated for a moment, then shook his head.

"I believe you may have sensed something, but even if the captain is still alive, he might be a madman now."

"It's alright, but I hope you don't report it. If the church finds out, they will definitely do everything in their power to find Dunn and kill him."

Daisy lowered her head. "It's just a small request, is that alright?"

"What would you do if the captain turned into a monster?"

"I believe he won't. I will capture him and seal him behind the Charles Gate."

Daly's eyes were fixed on the grave.

Then, she said in a low voice, "If he is truly beyond saving, I will kill him and then truly bury him here."

Leonard remained silent, looking at Daly with a hint of heartache in his eyes.

"Madam, there's no need for that..."

"No, it's necessary. I'll dispose of him quietly. Dunn is still a hero. He died for Tingen, not to become a monster."

Dai Li looked at the tombstone with exceptionally firm resolve.

Leonard paused for a few seconds, then looked down: "Yeah, they died for Tingen. If they really become monsters..."

"If they all go crazy, I'll bring them all back."

"Dali whispered."

Leonard sighed.

"I will keep it a secret. Also, I will stay with the Red Gloves and try to gather a team as soon as possible to search for their whereabouts together."

"Thanks."

"No need. Even if the captain and Klein really didn't die in that battle, I still have a reason to find them."

"No, I mean, thank you for believing in me and being willing to go through this with me. After all, I think this is a crazy thing to do."

Daisy smiled, then placed the ashes inside. "Let them stay here for a while."

"Um."

……

"Old man, you said before that she might have gone to that place?"

"The feeling is the same."

Pales said seriously, "At first I didn't think of it, but after thinking about it carefully, what kind of spirit could sense something that even I can't distinguish?"

"It's only him!"

Pales was resolute.

Leonard looked upstairs, a sense of unease creeping into his heart.

Ms. Daly...

Did you make a deal with that person in order to find out about Captain Dunn?

I don't know what she sacrificed.

but.

If the hermit told her the truth, it seems the captain and Klein really are not dead—

At least there was no death in the conventional sense.

They still exist in some form.

"Old man, based on your previous analysis, the extraordinary properties in that heart belong to the captain."

"If, as Ms. Daly says, the captain has truly become an Extraordinary being in the Corpse Collector pathway, is there still a possibility of saving him?"

Leonard said in a low voice.

After thinking for a moment, Pales replied, "The path of the Corpse Collector is rather special; once you reach Sequence 4, you're also called the Undead."

"The immortals? Are they really immortal?"

"Yes, they won't die, but it's practically the same as death. Their memories will fade, and then gradually return over the next sixty years..."

Pales told him about the immortals.

Leonard listened quietly.

After a while, he understood.

"You mean, with the help of a higher sequence through this pathway, it's possible to revive the captain?"

"It's just a possibility, because I don't know much about this route. Perhaps you could ask that person."

Pales replied.

Leonard hesitated for a moment, then shook his head: "Let's not. The price to get it must be extremely high, otherwise Ms. Daly would have already made the trade."

"Is that all? No matter the outcome, with your current abilities, you can't offer matching assets, nor can you save your captain."

Pales said, "You still need to work hard and become a Sequence 4 as soon as possible. The future may not be peaceful."

"What do you mean?"

"The resurgence of hidden entities is a bad omen in itself, and don't you remember why I parasitized you in the first place?"

"Evade the enemy."

Leonard paused slightly after answering, "You mean, your enemies might also...?"

"That's for sure. He's never been dormant and his strength is immense. Otherwise, I wouldn't have only dared to parasitize you and not directly seek someone to revive my power."

"I understand. After some time, once I've fully digested it, I'll try applying for a promotion."

"Um."

……

"Ms. Daly has come back again with a very important question for her: exchanging the lives of two scroll professors."

"Knowledge has different values ​​for different people."

Roy sighed inwardly.

Whether it's scientific or esoteric knowledge, its value varies for different people and organizations.

Astrologer

When playing the role, how should this sequence of knowledge be handled?

Collection is one part.

but.

Past experience has shown that while actively collecting and seeking knowledge can be effective, it is only the least effective method of role-playing.

To get promoted quickly, you must find the corresponding "rules" and summarize the patterns.

"Astrologer".

"Troublesome, this path becomes increasingly difficult to navigate as you go further down it."

Roy sighed inwardly, glanced at the star map, and left the mysterious hall after confirming that Leonard had not "requested a call".

In a short period of time—

No one should be coming anymore.

……

The next day, at Audrey's estate.

"Sigh, we still have no clue what to do, but the manor has already started working on it, and they can start producing seeds today."

Roy arrived at the manor in a carriage.

He glanced around.

The place is very big.

but.

In fact, he didn't need to actually study or select the seeds; he only needed to bring the seeds from the Earth Church.

The so-called research is just a facade.

It was just a performance for the nobles.

of course.

Audrey wasn't so easily fooled, especially by the dog beside her.

Roy glanced at it.

Susie stayed by his side the whole time, trying her best to suppress her spirituality and emotions so that he wouldn't be able to see through her behavior, habits, or thoughts.

but.

This kind of cover-up is problematic in itself; it will inevitably be exposed in the long run.

Roy narrowed his eyes slightly.

Susie took several steps back in horror.

It sensed a terrible threat!

other side……

He's staring at me!

Susie retreated in terror, unsure whether to use human language or bark, or even forget how to make a sound.

It has never experienced such terrifying pressure before.

"Your name is Susie, right?"

"Woof woof!"

Susie wagged her tail, trying to make herself look more like a real dog.

It remembers what it should do!

but.

The tall, blond man crouched down, looking down at it like a giant, his gaze deep and strangely spiritual.

"You must be an extraordinary pet, no wonder you belong to the Hall family, a famous wealthy family in Rune."

"!!!"

Susie was terrified and tried to back away, but at that moment, she felt a terrifying force of gravity—

It didn't know if it was gravity, but it was a terrible force that rendered it unable to move.

This is the extraordinary ability of Sequence 7 "Serial Killer" in the Criminal Pathway.

It can exert the power of "broken wings".

That is, gravity.

"The audience's extraordinary pet, an interesting creature, worthy of study..."

Roy chuckled.

Susie barked loudly.

A moment later, Audrey came running over.

"Susie, Mr. Egger, what's going on here...?"

"It's nothing. I just noticed that your pet dog is very intelligent, so I observed it for a while."

Roy smiled faintly.

Susie fled in terror, not daring to linger any longer.

Audrey laughed and said, "Susie is my adopted golden retriever, and she's definitely the smartest of the dogs."

"It will be a very useful helper for you."

"Yes, it has been a great help to me, and I don't have to take care of it much. You might not believe it, but most of the time it is the one taking care of me."

Audrey said with a light laugh.

She was unaware that Roy had already "seen" Susie's identity, but was still pretending to treat her like a normal pet.

Roy smiled slightly and said, "As long as you treat it sincerely, it will reciprocate with sincerity. The relationship between people and pets like cats and dogs is that simple."

"Where are the people?"

Audrey asked with a smile.

Roy shook his head: "People are much more complicated. The emotions and resources you invest may not be reciprocated by your target, and you might even get a knife back at you."

"A knife?"

"Yes, you may think the other person is your friend, but that might not be the case. They might not think that way at all."

Roy chuckled.

Then he stood up and said, "I'm leaving."

"Can we use those seeds?"

"It's not bad, but it's not usable yet. Its effect is only about 50% of that of the Earth Church."

Roy answered.

That's only 50%?

Audrey was shocked and asked, "What percentage of our original seed did we have?"

"About 30%."

Is it that much different?

Audrey only needed a rough calculation to understand how big the difference was.

This means...

On the same land, Fenneport can produce more than three times the amount of grain.

How could Rune possibly win?

No wonder those outside grain merchants could sell at such low prices.

after all.

They also need to pay for the boat fare and incur expenses to get to Ruen...

After deducting those costs, Fenneport's food prices were much lower than she had imagined.

"Mr. Egger, I have a question."

"explain."

Roy stopped.

Audrey asked, "Are there poor people in Fenneport?"

"Of course."

Roy answered without hesitation.

He had never been to Fenneport, but according to Liana's description, the situation there was different from that in Rune, but not too different.

Industry continues to encroach on Fenneport's land.

The gap between the rich and the poor still exists.

"So even in places with so much food, there are poor people."

Audrey sighed.

"There will be poor people everywhere. At least in some places they can survive, while in others they cannot."

Can't survive?

Does it refer to Backlund?

Audrey's heart sank.

"Do you have any other questions?"

"No, that's all. Thank you for your explanation."

"It's nothing. As a collaborator, I can tell you some ordinary things for free."

Roy laughed.

Audrey nodded slightly, then called out, and Susie quickly emerged from the shadows and escaped into the carriage.

Audrey chuckled to herself.

"Susie was probably scared earlier. I'm sorry, I'm going back now because I didn't tell my family I was eating out for lunch..."

"It's alright, I still need to gather some materials here to see if I can cultivate the next generation of seeds."

"Thank you for your hard work."

Audrey bowed and then boarded the carriage.

The servants drove the carriage toward Queens.

Once home, Audrey asked, "Susie, what happened?"

"He recognized my extraordinary abilities and knew I was in the audience."

"Susie said in fear."

Audrey's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Does he know?"

"Um."

Susie nodded emphatically.

Audrey was surprised.

"Does he really know me?"

"I don't know, but he's terrifying."

"I see."

Audrey frowned, then looked at Susie. "Can you keep an eye on things outside for me? I need to calm down and think things through."

perhaps……

It's not about knowing, but about an extraordinary ability.

(End of this chapter)