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

Chapter 99 Guardian! The Awakened Gatekeeper

In the restroom of a street-side cafe.

Roy closed the door and prayed in the bathroom.

"A fool who does not belong to this era, a mysterious ruler above the gray fog, the king of yellow and black who wields good fortune..."

"I beg for your help."

"I beg you..."

After a series of prayers, Roy felt uneasy—

Is it disrespectful to pray alone in the bathroom without preparing any offerings?

Even if this might be a branch of his divine kingdom...

He secretly pondered to himself.

After pausing for a few seconds, Roy continued talking to himself.

"Great Fool, please tell Miss Justice that my men have found Zillingus. He left Hillston in a carriage bearing a noble's insignia."

"His badge style is..."

"I suspect he might be attending some kind of party, planning to make a move on some high-ranking person there. Please ask her to keep an eye on things and give me some hints..."

After a series of mental recitations.

After a moment, a deep and grand voice rang in his ears.

With my eyes closed, I seemed to see a gray mist.

A figure sat upright on it.

"I see."

"I see."

"I……"

The sound echoed and reverberated throughout the space.

Roy stopped praying, straightened his clothes, and left the washroom.

……

"Why is Roy in the restroom too?"

"Never mind, it's not important. Let's hurry up and get the message to Miss 'Justice'. It wouldn't be good if someone was waiting outside."

Klein sighed inwardly, extracted the entire voice, and handed it over directly to the crimson star represented by "justice".

A short while later.

He completed the delivery of the message and quickly fell away from the gray fog.

……

Inside a villa, Audrey was preparing to attend a ball when she suddenly felt a surge of deep red light.

next moment.

A man's voice echoed in my ears.

"Great Fool, please convey this message..."

She paused for a few seconds, then her expression quickly turned serious.

That's really bad news!

reunion.

The dance party I'm about to attend?

So, is Zillinger's target Duke Negan?

Based on the style of the emblem provided by the "Hermit," Audrey tried to recall the nobleman to whom the emblem belonged, but couldn't remember for a long time.

She thought for a moment and said, "Annie, let's hurry to the ball, I can't wait."

"But miss, we'd better go later..."

"No problem, let's go. I have an appointment to meet with Viscount Grelint."

Audrey smiled slightly.

She needed to arrive at the ball early to observe the badges on the other people's carriages and then compare them to make her judgment.

Her residence in Queens was very close to the Duke of Negan's house.

Not long after, Audrey arrived at the Duke of Negan's residence by car.

As the nobleman with the most land, the Duke of Negan's land rent alone amounted to over 800,000 pounds, even after a sharp reduction following the Grain Act.

otherwise.

Before that, he could earn over a million pounds a year just from rent.

This is why the Duke of Negan was the largest member of the Conservative Party and its leader, and he insisted on opposing the repeal of the Act.

This ball served as his channel for cultivating relationships with the nobility.

As a descendant of nobility, Audrey was also among those invited to the ball.

She had her servants drive her to the mansion, and then instead of going inside, she walked slowly around the area where the carriages were parked, observing the surroundings.

No.

Audrey frowned.

Could the description of "hermit" be incorrect?

She was thinking about it.

"Miss, watch out!"

Anne quickly pulled Audrey aside—

A horse-drawn carriage slowly approached from the front entrance.

The other party wasn't in a hurry, so there wasn't really any danger. Annie was overreacting.

Audrey thought to herself.

Then, her eyes narrowed.

This family crest...

At that moment, a neatly dressed man came down from above, and she instantly straightened her back, transforming into the most elegant Miss Hall.

She greeted us with a flawless smile and impeccable manners.

"Hello, Baron Gramir."

"I'm so sorry I almost bumped into you, Miss Hall. You are the brightest and most dazzling jewel of this ball."

Baron Gramir bowed with a smile.

His eyebrows were still sparse, and his eyes were still light blue, but to Audrey, who had fully digested the image, it felt very incongruous.

She politely bid farewell to Baron Gramir, and then, led by Anne, entered the ball.

but.

The memory of what just happened lingers in my mind.

Baron Gramir is definitely acting strangely!

Normally, when someone is facing a beautiful woman of higher status, they will avoid direct eye contact but keep glancing at her, which makes the other person feel uncomfortable.

And today...

The other party is very generous and confident.

Secondly, the scent of the perfume is also different from my usual habits.

really.

Mr. Hermit's observation was correct; the one who arrived at the ball today was not the real Baron Gramir, but Ziringus in disguise.

Fortunately, I don't usually like him, and my greetings are only to maintain basic politeness, so a quick glance before leaving won't arouse his suspicion...

otherwise.

His hasty departure alone could arouse Zilingus's suspicion.

Audrey couldn't help but feel glad that the other party had found such a person.

If the other party were Grelint, she would probably have a hard time getting away, and that would be a situation she couldn't accept.

Once inside the ball, she began searching for Earl Hall—

As the head of the Hall family and a banker, her father would often arrive earlier to cultivate relationships with these nobles.

Upon entering the restaurant, they found Earl Hall.

After her performance, she was given the opportunity to speak with Earl Hall alone.

"Father, I met Baron Gramir at the door, but his behavior, perfume habits, and overall demeanor were very different from usual. I heard that Ziringus is lurking in Backlund and has killed many people..."

Audrey expressed her concerns and described in detail how Gramir was different from usual.

Earl Hall grew increasingly serious.

"I'll handle it. Go find your mother and stay with her. She's in the lounge in this lobby."

"Okay," Audrey nodded obediently.

On her way to the lounge, she glanced back at her father and saw Earl Hall whispering something to a nobleman, his expression quite serious.

Audrey's heart skipped a beat again.

Do not!

I have to do something, otherwise my parents are at the ball and they will be in danger, as will everyone else.

She knew her way around and entered a small prayer room.

"A fool who doesn't belong to his time..."

……

Just as Klein received his dinner and was about to eat, his face froze.

Come again?

He sighed silently.

It seems—

It's not easy to get this meal.

He wiped his mouth, then got up and went to the restroom.

……

"Miss Justice is efficient; she identified the other party so quickly, saving me some trouble."

"However, I have already reported this to Mr. Azik."

"Now we just have to wait."

Just as Roy was thinking this, the air twisted and Nina reappeared, spitting out a letter.

It says above—

"Come help on the way."

"Um?"

What does that mean?

Roy was surprised.

Do I need help solving a Ziringus problem?

He was stunned for a moment, then immediately set off, hiring a carriage to head to the municipal park near Queens.

That area is the closest to the Duke of Negan's residence and has waterways and lakes.

Roy hadn't arrived yet, but Azik was already waiting on the side.

"Mr. Azik."

"I originally intended to send Klein, but he's only Sequence 8, and I was worried something might happen to him. Since you happen to be closer, I decided to have you make the trip instead."

Azik said gently, "I need your help to distract the doorman so I can have Dunn take his place."

Roy's gaze swept over them.

Dunn at this moment...

His eyes were vacant, his face was deathly pale, and he was in very poor condition. Yet he was also very powerful, and could be considered a half-gatekeeper.

He was wearing a long robe, and his hat covered most of his face, making him look very mysterious.

Gatekeeper...

Is this some kind of role?

He thought for a moment and said, "You intend to have Dunn kill the other party?"

"Um."

"But we need to hurry, because the Punisher might arrive first, after all, Qilingus is a Wind Chosen One."

Roy said.

Azik nodded: "Don't worry."

"it is good."

Roy concealed himself and quickly walked towards the door.

There were four people at the entrance of the municipal park lake area, none of them were extraordinary individuals. He used the Concealment Ring to quickly knock all four of them unconscious.

Azik drove Dunn to the guard post.

Now, all we have to do is wait.

Roy sat in the chair, waiting for the right moment.

A short while later—

In the sky, a figure flew and glided, and with the help of the strong wind, he was very fast and traveled smoothly all the way.

however.

Upon reaching the airspace above the municipal park, a powerful spiritual energy erupted from the space.

Immediately following, a giant undead bird that was passing by let out a shrill cry, its flesh and blood filled with decay.

Zilingus frowned and could only lower himself.

The sky is the domain of birds. Although those favored by the wind can fly temporarily, they cannot maintain it indefinitely, and this ability consumes a great deal of spiritual energy.

Let's just rush in.

He glided down to a low altitude, where the undead giant bird above had vanished without a trace. He tried to fly through the doorway.

suddenly--

The gate to this area transformed into a colossal bronze gate.

It swayed in the wind, emitting a sharp and terrifying "whooshing" sound, and a creaking sound—

After a terrifying sound, the door cracked open.

The gap was filled with endless darkness, and countless indescribable eyes peered outwards.

Gatekeeper!

Zilingus's hair stood on end.

He leaned back with his arms outstretched, as if embracing the sun.

Suddenly, a pure and intense radiance descended from the sky.

The extraordinary abilities of the "Priest of Light"!

The "Sun" is the nemesis of the undead.

The gate shook violently, making a cracking sound, and the hands of the undead that emerged from within rapidly dissolved.

"Who are you? Ludwell?"

however.

Dunn looked up, a sudden ripple appearing in his eyes.

he……

They are protecting this territory.

"guard."

Dunn's eyes were filled with light. He opened his arms, extending his spiritual power to create invisible hands that held up the slowly closing gates of the underworld.

Amidst the rolling roar.

The gate was flung open, and countless pale hands reached out from within. This gate, like a living hell, seized Zilingus.

Zilingus gritted his teeth and continued to unleash his power.

however.

After the undead dissipated, more pale hands reached out from within, and even the owners of those hands stepped out of the "underworld".

These are skeletal giants that are over four meters tall!

Roy did not make a move.

He feared that introducing his own power would disrupt Dunn's strange state at this moment.

Azik looked upwards.

Zilingus, who had not yet landed, was never able to land.

He stirred up the gale, but the wind could not move the bones.

He wanted to call upon the sun.

but.

As darkness fell, a crimson moon hung in the branches.

Dozens of eyes burning with pitch-black flames focused on Zilingus. After a long while, they dragged Zilingus and pulled him through the door.

Zilingus screamed in agony.

But then...

Gala!

With a loud thud, his head was torn off by an invisible hand and slammed heavily to the ground.

Dunn's gaze was icy, shifting between reason and madness.

He seemed to be awake, yet not quite. After dragging Zilingus inside, his eyes gradually dimmed.

Azik was silent for a moment, then said, "Let's go."

He opened the gate to the spirit world, grabbed Roy's body, and jumped directly into the spirit world, leaving the scene.

Soon after, figures descended from the sky.

Alger arrived in a hurry afterward.

Upon seeing the scene, he couldn't help but swallow hard.

Blood was everywhere!

not only that.

This gate seemed to be the gate between life and death, faintly exuding the power of death, and all the surrounding plants were withered and decaying.

On the ground, a severed head remained intact, but after their arrival, the wind blew it away...

His flesh and blood withered rapidly, turning into dry ashes that crumbled to the ground and mingled with his skull.

Before he died, Zilingus' eyes were still wide open, with an expression of disbelief and astonishment.

Who made this?

Was it the hermit's elder, or someone else?

Alger's eyes widened.

"The Singer of God," Ace Snake, scanned the area before calmly asking, "Did you leak this information to the others?"

Alger calmed down and quickly shook his head: "I just received the intelligence and reported it to you, Archbishop. Perhaps others have received similar intelligence."

"..."

Archbishop Snake paused for a moment, then turned to look at the substitutes who had arrived later.

"Zilingus is dead. A doorman killed him."

A gatekeeper, and one capable of killing Qilingus in a short time...

He looked at Alger.

Where is Ludwell?

"I have no idea."

Alger lowered his head.

Ludwell is the Admiral of Hell, and there is a huge gap in strength and status between him and Ludwell. How could he possibly know the location of the Admiral of Hell?

Archbishop Snake paused for a moment, then said, "It could be him, or it could be someone from the Spirit Order. The target's identity is unclear, making it difficult to determine."

……

Inside the Duke of Negan's residence.

Audrey was with her mother, chatting with the other noble ladies.

Count Hall appeared at the door.

She made an excuse to leave.

A moment later, they were on the outer balcony.

"Zilingus is dead. He was murdered."

"Who?"

"I don't know. All that's left at the scene is a rapidly withering head. Child, you definitely don't want to know the details."

Earl Hall paused for a moment, then added, "Perhaps it's some kind of evil god organization."

An evil god organization?

Do not!

Perhaps it's our "Tarot Club".

Audrey thought happily—

The Hermit had previously stated that he would ask his elders for help in dealing with Zilingus.

It looks like the other side has made a move.

but.

He could quickly kill Zilingus, and was even capable of twisting his head off...

The elders of the "Hermit" were at least high-ranking, half-human, half-god level beings.

Our "Tarot Club" is truly amazing!

……

Inside a house, Azik, along with Roy and Dunn, jumped to this location.

Ahead of him stood a bewildered Klein.

He looked up.

"Mr. Azik, Roy, I... I'm about to go to the toilet."

"Feel sorry."

Roy was starting to lose control, but Sisi managed to keep her muscles in place.

This was thanks to Klein's tutorial on "clown" techniques; otherwise, he might not have been able to control his facial emotions so well.

Azik rubbed his temples and said, "If I want to travel between the two of them stably in the spirit world, I need to stabilize the passage through a strong connection."

He said this calmly, then opened the door and walked out.

Klein understood that Azik's switch to his side was related to the bronze whistle, but thankfully he genuinely wanted to use the restroom, rather than taking four steps backward into the gray fog.

Otherwise, if Azik and the others had appeared the moment he was enveloped in the gray fog, it would have been quite a shock.

Roy closed the door behind him.

A moment later, Klein emerged from the bathroom.

"How is the situation?"

"It went very smoothly."

Azik said, "Zilingus's glove carries the power of the Priest of Light, which cleverly suppressed Dunn's strength, allowing his own consciousness to gain the upper hand."

The person who took action this time was not the gatekeeper.

According to Roy's understanding.

The gatekeeper's "underworld" was merely a transit point; the real operation was carried out by Azik.

but.

With an extra link in the middle, its significance to Dunn became completely different.

In particular, under the suppression of the Priest of Light, Dunn regained some consciousness and consciously protected and killed Zilingus.

This will make Dunn's portrayal even more successful.

Klein was somewhat excited.

"So, there's a possibility the captain might recover?"

"Yes."

Azik nodded slightly.

Then, he reached out and took a special item from Dunn.

This is a glove.

The throbbing hunger.

Azik pondered for a moment and said, "This glove is useful to me, so I can't give it to you for now."

Roy didn't care.

He never coveted this extraordinary item.

Klein was quite envious.

If he could obtain "Crawling Hunger", his strength would increase significantly.

"Mr. Azik, Zilingus has received a considerable amount of bounty from various churches. I've discussed it with a friend, and he'll collect it on my behalf. I plan to share some of the money with him before giving it to you."

Roy said.

Azik smiled and said, "It's good to receive the bounty. You can keep it for yourself."

That's tens of thousands of pounds!

Klein's eyes widened in surprise at Azik's boundless confidence, then he looked at Roy.

Roy said, "It could be in the tens of thousands, I'm not entirely sure. You can keep it for your journey, but I might need to give a portion of the money to the person who receives it on your behalf."

Chapter Two is still being written; I'm experiencing writer's block. I'll post it later.

(End of this chapter)