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

Chapter 155 Why did you use something given to you by someone else?

night.

Inside a quiet room at St. Samuel's Church.

Wearing a black trench coat and red gloves, Leonard Mitchell, with dark hair and blue eyes, pushed open the door and entered the room. Dunn Smith, with a pair of deep gray eyes, was standing by the window, quietly gazing at the red moon outside.

Leonard walked into the room, his tone relaxed:

"Captain, we have good news. Benson has passed the unified government employee exam and they will be coming to Backlund after the New Year."

Dunn turned around, smiled, and said, "That's certainly good news."

Compared to Tingen, where only Sequence 7 Beyonders are stationed, Backlund, with its large number of mid-sequence and even high-sequence Beyonders, is undoubtedly safer. Especially after the last "clean-up," which eliminated a large number of hidden rats, Backlund will undoubtedly be even safer.

Most importantly, they are all here and can help take care of things.

Dunn thought for a moment and then instructed:

"When the time comes, try to arrange for them to be located in the North District."

"I see."

Leonard nodded slightly. "The church allocates a house to each night watchman, and I can give mine to them."

Although Klein's previous compensation of 6000 pounds was enough for the Benson siblings to live comfortably, it didn't mean they could be at peace with themselves. They owed Klein their lives, a debt far exceeding 6000 pounds!

"Hmm." Dunn nodded gently, but didn't say anything more. He just turned around and continued to look at the red moon outside the window, a subtle upturn at the corner of his mouth.

Leonard, noticing Dunn's upturned lips from the side, asked somewhat curiously:

"Captain, what are you laughing at?"

Dunn chuckled and said, "I'm thinking of something happy."

He had seen Sherlock twice: once in a dream, while investigating Dr. Allen's nightmares; and the other just a few days earlier, when he was in charge of investigating Jason Beria, the assassin of Duke Negan.

The results of these two meetings were completely different. The first time, he didn't even doubt the striking resemblance between Sherlock and Klein, but the second time, he could see the similarity between them at a glance.

There's only one explanation—the first meeting was in a dream, and he was perhaps blinded by some force, which is why he didn't notice anything. As for the second meeting, it wasn't in a dream, and this meeting was probably also unexpected by that Sherlock detective.

More importantly, he investigated the Sherlock detective and discovered that his earliest record was of arriving in Backlund on August 26th and renting the house at 15 Minsk Street. That day happened to be the day after Klein's burial.

These may not be conclusive evidence, but they were enough for Dunn, who trusted his own judgment.

However, despite confirming these facts, Dunn had no intention of acknowledging Klein's existence. Firstly, Klein seemed unwilling to acknowledge him, and whatever the reason, Dunn respected Klein's choice. Of course, Dunn believed this was most likely because Klein felt he couldn't explain to the church how he had "come back from the dead."

Dunn, too, couldn't explain this. Therefore, he and Leonard concealed their "resurrection."

On the other hand, there is the concern that Ince Zangwill, the culprit who almost caused the arrival of the evil god, is still alive!

Having become Red Gloves, they are qualified to learn more about the sealed artifact '0-08', especially given their role in hunting down Ince Zangwell.

For Ince Zangwill, who possesses the "0-08" code, the actions of these "insiders" are all under his surveillance. This means that they are almost completely transparent to Ince Zangwill; the only thing that can keep their secrets is their thoughts.

If he were merely meeting with Sherlock Moriarty, Ince Zangwill would remain oblivious. But if he were to recognize Klein, then Ince Zangwill, who had personally killed Klein, would know that Klein was still alive.

The fact that Ince Zangwill was forced to take action personally demonstrates the depth of his hatred for Klein. And if Zangwill were to discover that Klein is still alive and that Klein's secret of "resurrection" has been exposed, it would undoubtedly put Klein in an extremely dangerous situation!

Therefore, he would not attempt to reunite with Klein or take any action that would expose Klein until Ince Zangwill was completely defeated. Even when investigating Sherlock Moriarty, he would investigate other detectives involved with Jason Belial together, and Sherlock's information would be mixed in and not stand out.

of course.

The premise is that all of this is due to his own will, and not a coincidence created by '0-08'.

-

Outside the Brave Ones Bar, a horse-drawn carriage sped by.

Inside the carriage, Klein, wearing a top silk hat, and Sharon, still dressed in a black Gothic court dress, sat facing each other. Looking at the former bodyguard's pale, expressionless face, Klein had no time for pleasantries and could only get straight to the point:

"I am ready."

Sharon listened quietly, then spoke concisely:

"tonight?"

She raised her voice slightly at the end to indicate that she was asking a question.

"If you have no problem, then I have no problem either," Klein replied, already prepared.

In fact, he initially planned to invite Ember to join him in digging up the grave. However, considering that Miss Sharon might not be comfortable with the involvement of strangers, Klein abandoned this plan. After all, Sharon hadn't even invited Marich, who was with him, so Klein couldn't just let anyone else join in.

Moreover, having already advanced to Sequence 6 'Faceless Man', and possessing several powerful magical items, Klein is not entirely without confidence in exploring that underground ruin.

"Okay." Sharon nodded.

The room fell silent for a few seconds before Klein carefully chose his words and asked again:

Have you ever heard of mermaids? Do you know where you can encounter these legendary creatures?

Sharon stared intently at Klein with her blue eyes, as if she had transformed into a real doll.

After a while, she said without any emotional fluctuation:

"Where human footprints can reach, there are no more mermaids. Only the fishermen of the Cargas Islands, on their long voyages to hunt white-tailed whales, occasionally hear the songs of mermaids in the storms."

The Carcas Islands, located deep in the Sunia Sea, are the furthest human settlements in this ocean, and are known for products such as whale oil and whale meat.

Similar to the information provided by the "Hanged Man," Klein felt a slight regret, but still nodded slightly:

"I see."

-

The Earl of Hall's luxurious villa in Queens.

Audrey sat on a white napkin, watching the maids cut her steak, arrange foie gras and egg sauce, spread jam on the soft bread, and add sauce to the grilled meat. The sumptuous dinner shimmered with an enticing color under the glow of many candles.

In true aristocratic families, maids were divided into many categories. In addition to personal maids, there were maids for different bedrooms, studies, living rooms, guest rooms, clothing, shoes, jewelry, dining, laundry, and kitchen, with each type of maid assigned to a specific task.

While this was largely a waste of manpower, for nobles, appearances were everything, and they wouldn't lower their standards in this regard unless they were heavily indebted. And Earl Hall, as one of the nation's largest bankers, clearly wouldn't be short of money.

Audrey took a sip of the reddish-brown tea, letting the subtle aroma of malt and rose linger in her mouth.

Sitting next to her should have been her mother, Lady Caitlin, but now it was Ember. In fact, whenever Ember dined at the villa, her mother would always move to the other side to make room for him. As for the reason for this, Audrey and everyone else knew perfectly well.

Just then, she heard her father, Earl Hall, a member of the Kingdom's Senate and a prominent banker, muttering to himself while looking at the newspaper in his hand:

"This is absolutely insane!"

Audrey blinked and asked curiously:

"Could it be that the Aurora Society has assassinated another ambassador or duke?"

Besides the initial assassination of the Intis Republic's ambassador, the "deed" of assassinating Duke Negan a few days ago was also attributed to the Aurora Society for some reason, and Earl Hall's reaction makes it hard not to suspect that the Aurora Society has assassinated someone again.

"Oh, my darling, you wouldn't want to know, this wasn't an assassination attempt, it was the Aurora Society that robbed the tomb of a great nobleman from the Fourth Age!"

Earl Hall shook his head as he flipped through the newspaper, his tone even carrying a hint of indignant anger.

Hibbert Hall paused slightly, swallowed the roasted mushroom in his mouth, and asked in confusion:

"Which ancient nobleman's tomb was robbed?"

Contrary to what newspapers and magazines might imagine, dinners in aristocratic families are not formal and do not require silence. These are rare occasions when family members gather together, and they eat while casually chatting about various light topics, exchanging pleasantries and strengthening their bonds.

Earl Hall put down his newspaper, shook his head, and sighed:

"That mausoleum belongs to the Ammon family."

"Amon?"

Yu Jin paused slightly, his action of cutting the steak momentarily.

Oh, I did it. It's alright then.

As for the Aurora Club taking the blame, well, it's actually quite good. Anyway, the Aurora Club probably won't care, and they certainly won't come out to clarify. Thinking of this, Yu Jin nonchalantly continued to cut a piece of steak and stuff it into his mouth, letting the rich and delicious juices burst in his mouth.

Upon hearing this, Hippo couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness, and sighed:

"The once illustrious family has long since perished, and even the ancestral tombs are no longer at peace."

The Fourth Age is the era before the present-day Iron Age. Its history is shrouded in mystery and has many gaps. Even unearthed tombs, ancient cities, and documents are few and far between. Historians and archaeologists can only piece together a little bit of the "original appearance" by relying on the vague theological texts of the seven major churches, which are mainly focused on faith education.

The Ammon family was one of the few recorded noble families among them. They rose to prominence during the Fourth Age of the Tudor dynasty and were one of the five great families that underpinned its establishment. It is no exaggeration to say that their status within the Tudor dynasty was even more illustrious than that of Duke Nigan, who was assassinated recently!

Thousands of years later, this once illustrious family no longer exists, and even in death, their graves are being desecrated. As a fellow nobleman, Earl Hall naturally feels a sense of shared sorrow and anger. After all, while only the Amon family's tomb has been robbed so far, who knows if the Hall family might be next in a century?

Audrey's mind raced slightly. Without making a sound, she cut a piece of steak from her own ranch, observed Earl Hall's expression, and asked without hiding her curiosity:

"Dad, even if the Amon family's tomb was looted, the murals inside should still help us understand the history of the Quaternary period, right?"

"That's the key point."

Earl Hall shook his head and said in a deep voice, "The Aurora Society not only looted the Amon family's mausoleum, but also installed a large amount of high-performance explosives to blow it up afterward. Now the entire mausoleum has been completely destroyed! Everything that may contain historical value, including murals and ancient documents, has disappeared with the collapse of the mausoleum."

"Explosion?" Audrey opened her mouth, clearly in disbelief.

Grave robbing is one thing, but why blow it up afterwards? What kind of grave robbers do that? No, if it were the Aurora Society, perhaps they really could do something like that. After all, judging from the descriptions of the others in the Ember and Tarot Society, the Aurora Society is clearly full of mentally unstable lunatics.

Ember suddenly asked:

"When did this happen?"

"Just this afternoon."

Earl Hall pointed to the front page of the newspaper and sighed regretfully, "This is today's evening paper. The Steam Church's archaeological team discovered this mausoleum and was originally preparing to carry out protective restoration and archaeological work on it. However, when they arrived, they found that the mausoleum had already been destroyed by the Aurora Society. If the archaeological team had arrived a day earlier, perhaps things would have been different."

"Oh, that's all right now."

Yu Jin's expression returned to normal; the collapse of the mausoleum was clearly unrelated to him.

After all, his exploration happened several days ago, and while he did cause some minor damage, it certainly didn't collapse; at least it was intact when he left. However, the Aurora Society is likely to be blamed as well; they probably don't even know where this mausoleum is.

It's highly likely that the Steam Church's "archaeological team" accidentally damaged the tomb, which is why they hastily published the story in the newspapers and shifted the blame to the Aurora Society. After all, it's unlikely that an official archaeological team would have damaged the tomb, right? So, regardless of the reason, the truth can only be that tomb raiders like the Aurora Society did it!

As Hibbert cut his steak, he remarked with a touch of melancholy:

"Perhaps this is what Emperor Rosell meant by 'turbulent times'."

Duke Negan has been assassinated twice, the ambassador of the Republic of Intis has also been assassinated, the Church of the True God joined forces with the military and MI9 to wipe out secret organizations just two months ago, and now the mausoleum of a great noble of the Fourth Age has been destroyed...

All of this gave the impression of an impending storm. Even those unaware of what was happening could sense that something was amiss. After all, newspapers in previous years were far less "colorful" than they are now; this was hardly a coincidence.

Earl Hall paused, his knife and fork stilled, and solemnly instructed:

"Hibbert, Audrey, try to stay home as much as possible until the New Year's Eve party."

Audrey muttered to herself, feigning innocence like a young girl:

"It's so cold, even if you tell me to go out, Dad, I won't."

Earl Hall looked at Audrey with a doting gaze, but also with a hint of helplessness.

As for why it's a limited-time New Year's Eve party, it's actually quite easy to understand. According to the customs of the Kingdom of Rune, nobles with fiefdoms would gradually leave Backlund a week after the New Year's Eve ball, returning to their own territories to enjoy a pleasant life in the countryside or castle. They would then return to the capital in June to resume their daily social activities.

Of course, Earl Hall, a powerful nobleman and prominent banker, would frequently travel between the two places to handle business. But Audrey and Lady Catherine didn't need to accompany him; they could stay in the castle on the estate until June.

Upon hearing this, Hilbert suddenly asked curiously:

"Ash, after the New Year's Eve party, are you planning to stay in Backlund or return to your territory in Wintershire?"

Ember thought for a moment and replied:

"He will probably stay in Backlund."

"really."

Hilbert joked, "Backlund winters are already quite cold, and while East Chestershire isn't exactly warm either, it's still much better than Wintershire. At least if I were put in Wintershire, I definitely wouldn't last a day. However..."

After a pause, Hilbert got to the point, smiling as he said, "Would you like to come and visit our family's territory? It's quite large, with many villages and towns under our jurisdiction. You can accompany Audrey on a picnic and go hunting while you're at it."

"I can consider it."

Yu Jin thought for a moment, then nodded slightly, it was unclear whether he truly thought so or it was just a polite gesture.

Audrey immediately understood Hippo's implied meaning and appropriately lowered her head, letting a faint blush rise on her fair cheeks.

This undoubtedly brought a smile of satisfaction to the faces of Count and Countess Hall, who witnessed this scene.

-

In the middle of Williams Street stands an abandoned chapel, its walls covered in withered vines and strewn with gray stones. Inside, excrement and debris mingle, with piles of stones and withered grass interspersed among the walls.

In the deep darkness and the somber crimson that enveloped the edges, Klein and Miss Sharon blocked the path of Baron Raft Pound, who was trying to dig an underground passage to the underground ruins.

However, before he could say more than a few words, the baron suddenly stared blankly at a relatively intact stone wall, strained his back, and slammed his head heavily against it.

Boom boom boom!

He was hit three times, and then fainted with blood streaming from his forehead.

Klein and Sharon simultaneously sensed the anomaly and each took their own measures. One bathed the ruined chapel in crimson moonlight, while the other pulled out a verdigris-colored cross, ready to be stained with blood at any moment.

Immediately afterwards, the Baron, who should have fainted, got up again, his eyes inexplicably bloodshot.

Raft Pound raised his right hand and wiped his forehead, leaving his palm covered in blood.

He stuck out his tongue, licked the scarlet liquid, and said with a look of ecstasy:

"The bloodline of Tudor is truly delicious, simply intoxicating."

"This will allow my hatred to exceed its limit to the maximum, helping me to briefly expand the boundaries of the seal."

Klein, holding the cross in one hand, asked with a slightly surprised expression:

"An evil spirit within the ruins?"

A trickle of blood slid down Raft Pound's face, and his smile was rather terrifying:

"You guessed..."

Raft Pound's voice abruptly stopped, and he suddenly stared intently at the cross in Klein's hand. Blood red had completely stained the whites of his eyes, and negative emotions such as hatred, malice, and resentment surged forth, transforming into needles that almost solidified and constantly pierced Klein's nerves.

"Who gave you this?!"

(End of this chapter)