Mystery: The Undead Don't Die from Linking the Fire

Chapter 137 With Teleportation at Hand, I Rule the World

As Ember went downstairs, he bumped into Audrey's brother, Hilbert. Although Hilbert's strange look clearly indicated that he was wondering how Ember had entered Audrey's room, he still politely invited Ember to stay for dinner, which Ember declined.

Leaving Earl Hall's luxurious villa and walking along the familiar yet strange streets leading from the villa district to Hillston, Ember felt an unprecedented calm. As time passed, more and more of his memories returned.

Although most of his memories still lack detail, they are enough for Ember to make a fairly accurate judgment about his current situation.

He had originally planned to go to the North District to clock in at the Backlund Detective Agency. But then he thought, since he'd already missed over a month of work, one more day wouldn't make a difference, so he decided not to go. He figured Al Hassen and the others were pretty much used to it by now and wouldn't mind.

Ember intended to return directly to 117 Burningham Road, but on his way back, he spotted a familiar figure on the street—a young girl dressed in traditional knight's training clothes. The girl's features were delicate and gentle, but her eyes and brows seemed still somewhat immature, quite youthful. Despite her messy, shoulder-length blond hair, she possessed an indescribable air of authority and a captivating charm.

Most importantly, her height is at most a little over 1.5 meters—well, at most. After all, if you don't count the height of her shoes, it's really hard to say whether she can exceed 1.5 meters.

That was Hugh, Hugh Deercha, one of Ember's two roommates. She was staring intently at a brown carriage driving down the street, as if there was something on it that caught her attention. Ember glanced at the carriage briefly; it had a emblem consisting of a flower and two rings.

In Backlund, many families owned carriages, and even middle-class families like Dr. Allen could have their own private carriages. However, the right to adorn a carriage with heraldic emblems was a privilege reserved for nobles.

Ordinary people might stare blankly at the carriage out of envy for the privileged life of the nobility. But Ember knew very well that Hugh was not that kind of person. He quietly approached the girl, while Hugh remained staring blankly at the receding silhouette of the carriage, seemingly quite dejected.

Ember suddenly spoke:

"What are you looking at?"

"ah!"

Hugh was startled by the sudden sound behind him. He turned around and saw Ember. His eyes lit up with surprise but also with a hint of resentment. "Don't you make any noise when you walk?"

"You're just too focused."

Ember shrugged and asked, "Whose carriage was that? You seem to care?"

"That……"

Hugh pursed his lips and remained silent for a long time before speaking in a slightly hoarse voice, "That's someone I used to know, Viscount Stratford."

"Who?"

"Ember asked in return," Yu Jin replied.

"..."

Hugh looked up at Ember, a hint of suspicion in his eyes.

Yu Jin is, after all, a nobleman of the Kingdom of Rune. Even though he was born in the harsh winter county, it should be common sense for a legitimate nobleman to be able to identify the family crests and identities of other nobles.

After a long silence, Hugh said with some difficulty:

"He is the current Chief of the Royal Guard, and I should have told you that my father was the Commander of the Royal Guard and the Chief of the Royal Guard. At that time, Viscount Stratford was my father's deputy."

He paused, then said with a hint of bitterness, "Before he was accused of 'treason' and sentenced to 'hanging,' stripped of his title and fiefdom."

Ember saw through her thoughts and asked:

"What do you think he might know?"

Xiu hesitated for a long time before firmly saying:

"It's not just a possibility, he definitely knows something!"

"I see."

Yu Jin stroked his chin, watching the carriage disappear into the distance, and said thoughtfully, "I also have some questions to ask him, and this might also solve the mystery of your father being framed."

Hugh fell silent for a long while before whispering:

"Give me some time, I can find his place."

"unnecessary."

Yu Jin shook his head and, under Xiu's surprised gaze, said succinctly, "Just wait."

Hugh instantly recalled the strange creatures summoned by the embers and immediately understood what was going on. He chuckled:

"I understand, but..."

"But what?"

In response to Ember's question, Hugh raised his head and whispered:

"ember."

"Um?"

"You seem to have become much more radical than before."

Hugh mustered her courage and looked directly into Ember's eyes, meeting his gaze.

The Ember of the past would emphasize conducting investigations without alerting the target and would prefer to act only after thorough preparation, but now he seems to have completely forgotten that. He wants to attack Viscount Stratford simply because he bumped into him on the street.

Ember smiled and said calmly and frankly:

"That's because I remembered some things and figured some things out."

Xiu blinked, as if he had just realized something.

It seems that this trip to the "Forsaken Land" has brought about quite a change in Ember. However, it may not necessarily be a bad thing.

……

117 Burningham Road.

When Ember entered the living room, he found that Fors wasn't lying motionless on the sofa as before. This made him a little puzzled. Had Fors changed her ways?

Hugh took out his key and opened the door. Seeing the confusion in Yu Jin's eyes, he sighed helplessly.

She strode to Fors's room, grasped the doorknob, and gently turned it. The smooth touch proved the door wasn't locked. Hugh nodded with satisfaction, then—with a 'bang'—kicked the door open.

"Ugh! Hush! What are you doing now?! I clearly didn't lock the door!"

"That's why I'm kicking the door down—because it wasn't locked! What if I break it? Okay, okay, let me see!"

"Hugh, don't come any closer... Ah! No, no, no, not that kind of thing... No!"

Upstairs came the girl's noisy screams and the sound of wind whipping up when she forcefully pulled off the covers, along with the girl's cries of pain—after all, being suddenly pulled from a warm bed on a winter morning and being assaulted by the cold wind that covets a girl's warm and delicate body is certainly not a pleasant experience.

Finally, with all her might, under the imposing gaze of her 1.5-meter-tall friend, Fors managed to overcome the winter's chill. She changed into a dark blue, thick cotton dress, wrapped a light gray scarf around her neck, put on a warm lady's soft hat, and arrived at the living room fully armed and ready to go out.

"Ha~"

Fors cupped her hands to her mouth, breathed on them, rubbed them together vigorously, and greeted them weakly, "Welcome back, Ember."

"Are you being this cold?"

Hugh, who had been watching Fors come down from upstairs, asked somewhat speechlessly.

"Otherwise what?"

Fors retorted matter-of-factly, "Do you expect me to excitedly throw myself at him, crying and saying things like 'You're finally back'?"

"Then let's forget about it."

Just thinking about the scene gave me goosebumps, and I shook my head decisively. Even Miss Sissi from Fors's novels wouldn't do such a thing; it's completely out of character for Fors.

So that's why.

Fors plopped down on the sofa, gave a soft snort, and said, "Why does it have to be like a final farewell when it's just a long-awaited reunion?"

Although what she said made a lot of sense, Yu Jin looked at the girl who was so serious and logical, as if she were having a debate, and suddenly found it a little funny.

He shook his head and asked:

What was the reaction from the Abrahamic family?

"There was no reaction."

Fors puffed out her chest, a hint of pride in her voice, and said, "Because of your sudden disappearance, they did have quite a few guesses. But thanks to my clever maneuvering, they had no doubts. Plus, with the 'healing tears' you left behind, they successfully passed last month's full moon."

"Thanks to this opportunity, they finally fully believe that you can cure their curse. However..."

"But what?"

Ember looked at Fors with some doubt, which made her lower her head guiltily and add in a low voice, "But I used your name to get a little bit of extraordinary materials and potion recipes from the Abraham family."

"very good."

"Huh?"

Hearing Ember's approving tone, Fors looked up in surprise and asked timidly, "You don't mind?"

Ember asked in return:

"What's there to mind? If you don't want anything, then the person was saved for nothing, right?"

He helped the Abraham family cure their curse, which was a mutually beneficial arrangement, not a charitable act. Although Fors was acting under someone else's coattails, she did indeed help heal members of the Abraham family last month, so it was only right that she ask the Abraham family for some compensation.

Moreover, Fors herself is only a Sequence 8 magician, so how much could she possibly want from the Abraham family?

Fors muttered to himself:

"I'm glad you don't mind. I hope you'll say that again in the future."

"What?"

"It's nothing."

Fors's eyes darted away as she changed the subject, "The full moon is in five days. Will you be coming to perform the treatment yourself this time?"

"How is the treatment going?"

Yu Jin hesitated for two seconds before asking.

Fors said with some excitement:

"Just as you guessed, 'Healing Tears' can temporarily relieve the torment of the curse and delirium. But the delirium will return on the next full moon. The 'Regression Principle,' however, is different; it can truly cure the curse completely!"

Fors paused, then explained, "However, it seems to apply only to me. At least on the last full moon, all the Abrahams, including those who received treatment in the basement, were tormented by delirium, but I didn't hear anything. This must be related to their bloodline."

Ember nodded slightly; all of this was within his expectations. The curse on the Abraham family originated from their bloodline, so even if the curse was completely eradicated, the Abrahams would still be cursed again in a short time.

However, Fors herself does not have Abraham's blood; the curse only occurred as a side effect of using magical items. Therefore, after the curse is lifted, as long as she doesn't recklessly use such magical items again, the curse won't return.

Of course, she wouldn't have the chance to do anything reckless now, since the necklace had already been restored to its extraordinary properties.

"Then you can continue."

Yu Jin thought for a moment, then shook his head and refused, saying, "Whether it's the treatment or the negotiations with the Abraham family, you will still be in charge."

"Oh, right, this is for you."

Fors nodded, then suddenly took off the ring she was wearing and handed it over, saying softly, "This is a piece I commissioned Mr. 'The Hanged Man' to have crafted by an artisan using the extraordinary properties I obtained from the Abraham family. Its ability is the same as the previous bracelet, allowing the user to teleport through the spirit world. The side effect is also the same: after use, one will hear mutterings during a full moon, but I don't think you'll care about this curse."

Yu Jin took the ring and glanced at it. The ring itself was unremarkable, except for a crystal that was so transparent it was almost ethereal, set at the top.

The Traveler's Guide

A ring crafted with the extraordinary qualities of a traveler.

The Traveler's Gate can be used.

The extraordinary qualities of travelers have been admired since ancient times.

Even for saints and angels...

Teleportation to the spirit world is also an extraordinary ability that they can only hope to obtain.

It contains the madness that comes from our ancestors in our bloodline.

It curses all its users.

Fors complained:

"It was only after getting this ring that I realized my previous stone bracelet was a complete shoddy product! Well, to use the words of Emperor Roselle, it was a 'counterfeit'."

While other people's magical items may have side effects, they are at least unlimited in use. But the stone bracelet not only has side effects, but it can only be used five times! Although the stone bracelet helped her a lot when she was still weak, that doesn't stop Fors from criticizing the craftsman's skill in making the stone bracelet.

"You don't need it?"

Ember looked up at Fors and asked with a frown.

Fors said seriously:

"Yes, you need it, but you need it even more, don't you?"

As she spoke, Fors winked at Ember, "Besides, you're almost at Sequence 6, aren't you? Maybe in a few months you'll be a Sequence 5 Traveler. You can just return the ring to me when you don't need it anymore, right? Besides, I have a travel journal. You can record two Traveler's Gates for me when I need them, can't you?"

"Or do you mean you don't want it?"

"No, it's just a bit of a pity."

Ember shook his head, not refusing Fors's offer. His understanding of the 'Black Emperor' was still insufficient, so there was still a possibility that the 'Black Emperor' could escape. And this ring, which could help him track down an enemy while they were fleeing, couldn't be more suitable.

"What's a pity?"

Yu Jin shook his head and said regretfully:

"It's a pity that it's a ring."

Fors hesitated for a moment, then asked cautiously:

"Is there anything wrong with a ring?"

"I only have ten fingers."

Yu Jin glanced at her and said succinctly.

Fors was stunned, her cheeks turning bright red.

She specifically asked Yu Jin to make it in the shape of a ring because she knew he liked wearing rings, but her good intentions backfired.

Ember glanced at Fors and said again:

"But it doesn't matter, since not all rings are effective."

Even with its side effects, this ring is far more useful than most other rings.

For example, the Transformation Ring, which transforms a person into the opposite sex, is a truly precious item, something only a cross-dresser would use. Then there's the Disaster Ring, which doubles damage taken, and the Skull Ring, which attracts enemy attacks with its taunt effect; for Ember, these are utterly useless—tasteless to use, yet too precious to discard.

"Hmm~"

Fors puffed out her cheeks, feeling like she'd been tricked. Her eyes held a hint of resentment, but her body betrayed her as she earnestly instructed, "Remember, don't use the Spirit Realm teleportation for too long each time. Don't stay in the Spirit Realm for too long, or you'll easily lose your way."

Ember solemnly put the ring on his finger and replied solemnly:

"I've got it."

As one of the most important cornerstones of the mysterious world, the Spirit Realm, though not deeply understood by Ember, was known to be quite wondrous in its existence.

The spirit world and the real world completely overlap, so everyone can receive revelation from the spirit world at any time. However, the spirit world has no up, down, left, or right; the past, future, and present can all converge here. It's like a strange ocean formed by the compression of countless pieces of knowledge, information, and illusory spirits, completely different from the 'world' in normal concepts and logic.

The essence of the Traveler's Gate is to allow people to travel through the spirit world while still being able to sense the outside world and locate themselves. However, if this process lasts too long, or if one stays in the spirit world for too long, it can easily lead to disorientation, loss of identity with the real world, and ultimately, complete loss of consciousness in the depths of the spirit world.

Of course, if the user is a traveler, they can return to the real world even if they lose their way. However, if they use the Traveler's Gate through a magical item, they only have their own location at the time of their "departure," which makes it easy for them to get lost in the spirit world if they stay there for too long.

But then another question suddenly came to mind:

The spirit world has no concept of up, down, left, or right, and the past, future, and present can all converge here. This means that if he is in the spirit world and 'Lilith' happens to summon him again, he will be summoned there as well, which is itself a form of 'teleportation'.

What about above the gray fog? If the gray fog can achieve the same effect, does it mean that the gray fog is similar to the spirit world?

This speculation grew in his mind like a virus, constantly challenging the shackles that had bound him, as if two great armies were waging a fierce and earth-shattering battle in his mind.

Ultimately, the virus-like mindset prevailed, successfully breaking free from its shackles—at least partially—which allowed the embers to remember more things, such as—

"Source Castle".

"Ember murmured softly."

"What fortress?"

Fors paused for a moment, not quite hearing clearly.

"No, it's nothing."

Yu Jin raised his head, his eyes incredibly deep yet he vehemently denied it, and waved his hand to conjure several things on the table as if changing the subject.

Fors' attention was indeed drawn, and she subconsciously looked over, her eyes drawn to two of the rings.

"What is this?"

Fors and Hugh both looked curious and couldn't help but ask.

"The Sacrifice Ring"

In response to the girl's puzzled question, Ember replied, "Consider these things as compensation for taking your ring."

"sacrifice……"

Fors and Hugh spoke in unison, then bit their tongues at the same time, clutching them in pain, their synchronization was 100%.

They had never seen a sacrifice ring before, but as members of the Tarot Club, they had heard of this ring that could bring the dead back to life! And the value of such a ring was undoubtedly invaluable!

Fors's eyes were filled with deep emotion, but she still gritted her teeth and refused:

"No, this is too precious..."

Ember shook his head and said calmly:

"Don't rush to refuse. Whether something is precious or not depends on the person. To me, sacrificing the ring is nothing but a useless trinket, but using it to exchange for you would actually be a bargain for me."

"You don't need two."

Fors swallowed back what she was about to say and muttered something under her breath.

"Just tell me if you want it or not."

"want!"

Fors and Hugh exchanged a glance and spoke in unison.

If they dare to give me the embers, they dare to take them; I can always find a way to compensate them later.

Miss Audrey gave them ten thousand pounds, which they cannot repay now, but they will certainly be able to repay in the future.

(End of this chapter)