The Strange Adventures of Hearn the Believer

"what?"

……

Chapter 258 Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Night (Part 9)

"Sigh, we just don't understand. Why can't these young girls learn to behave properly? They should be in school, what kind of behavior is it to come to a casino and cause trouble?"

I can faintly hear auditory hallucinations.

What a mess!

Dominic struggled to his senses, leaping up from the floor like a fish out of water. He looked around and saw that everything was as before.

The only slight change was to the oddly shaped old cat that was added to the opposite side of the coffee table.

Domi's gaze swept across the sofa behind him and saw Miss Vanmillion, who looked like a lamb, sitting there in a daze, seemingly out of it. She appeared to be alright, which reassured Domi somewhat.

Generally speaking, most devils are quite well-behaved until they sign a contract and the matter is settled.

Looking down at her watch, Domi confirmed that only a few minutes had passed since she lost consciousness, and that the situation had not deteriorated beyond repair. This relieved her, and she sat back down on the sofa, looking at the old cat across the coffee table.

"Your Excellency, what do you mean?"

Considering that he had powerful backers outside and that the situation was not imminent, and after weighing the size of his own fist, Dominic chose a more peaceful approach to negotiation.

"Little girl, what do you mean by that?"

I spent so much time outside just to get this book from the inner hall, and you ruined everything! And you're asking me what I mean by that?!

Despite his blood pressure soaring from the questions, Dominic managed to calmly and even smile as he explained his purpose to the old cat.

"That's it, that's it."

What do you mean by "So that's how it is"? Didn't we already discuss our demands with the administrators of [Old Dreams] before we even entered? Judging from Mostima's behavior and previous actions, a little speculation should reveal that she has some connection to the inside story of this place. In other words, wasn't this just a farce of going through the motions?

So how did an old cat suddenly appear out of nowhere and steal the prize?

Dominique's emotions were boiling over like water in a pot, which was not in line with her usual calm and cautious nature.

"Relax, have some fruit to calm down, sweet girl. How old are you? Where do you live? What's your name?"

The eccentric old cat, with a smug, infuriatingly funny face, pushed a plate of fresh, steaming fruits over. The fruits were neatly cut and easy to handle, and the ones without shells even had small toothpicks stuck in them.

"It is basic etiquette to introduce yourself before asking someone's name."

Dominic didn't touch the plate of fruit of dubious origin, and instead crossed her arms and gave a seemingly indifferent reminder.

“I see. This is indeed against etiquette. Please forgive my rudeness. My name is Baal.”

Upon hearing this, the room fell into a deathly silence several times. Dominic felt as if he were a balloon, with a silver needle piercing the back of his neck.

What's leaking out is confidence.

……

There are countless [Baal]s in this world.

There is only one Baal in this world.

The term "countless" is used because the demonic lineage, which has existed since ancient times, has branched out into countless sub-lineages. If Dominic travels far enough among the stars, he may encounter Nicholas Bar, Leonardo Bar, Morgan Bar, Sigma Bar, Morag Bar, and so on, among countless other descendants of the Bar clan.

It is called the only one because only one devil would call himself Baal, and only He dares to call himself Baal.

That demonic duke who resides at the source of the Baal clan's bloodline, the ancient great demon who is the head of the four supreme pillars.

And, according to rumors, the person who frequently appears in public does indeed seem to be an old cat...

Now that things have come to this, Dominic, who has just experienced a mental hurricane, feels a sense of shock, as if he has kicked a steel plate, and a sense of disillusionment, as if I am not actually awake yet and all of this is just a dream.

Even if it's just self-deception.

Good morning, Gomorrah. Please carve my name, Dominic Antofil, on the monument of legend, in memory of an insignificant little devil who, before his death, scorned the legendary Prince Baal…

A brief introduction...

"Miss Dominique Antofil".

The Great Demon's casual incantation brought Dominic's soul back to reality, but her condition did not improve much. Faced with the suppression from an existence that was beyond her comprehension, Dominic was now nothing more than a reed that could barely think and speak.

After revealing his identity, Old Cat was no longer the frivolous and carefree person he once was. With the filter of spirituality, he even exuded an imposing aura without anger, even though the person involved never changed his attitude from beginning to end. But that's just how some things are.

"I'm here, I mean hello, not what I meant..." Domi's lips were already trembling.

Where is this place?

"Uh... [Old Dreams]."

What is meant by "old dreams"?

"A casino, a casino that selects those with talent, where the little people who stand out have the opportunity to reach the highest levels of society and get what they want." Despite her trembling lips, Dominique did her best to express her understanding of this underwater place along the way.

"Now that you have already seen through the truth of this place, and you have already stood out from the crowd, why not fulfill the contract and get what you want?"

The Devil Duke then posed his next question, leaving Domi completely bewildered.

Did we get what we wanted? Weren't we on our way to getting what we wanted and making a clean getaway, when you jumped out and ruined it?

"Miss Dominique Antofil, is this tattered book of dubious origin truly what you desire?"

Then...

The next moment, Dominic was struck as if by lightning, feeling as if a basin of ice water had been poured down his neck in the dead of winter, chilling him to the bone, and he was suddenly awakened.

Yes, when did her dream become obtaining an ancient book that has nothing to do with her? Even if it contains great secrets and is a secret text, does it have anything to do with her from beginning to end?

If we were to pinpoint who sought out this book, this "dream" would actually belong to Miss Van Mielion, who is now seated beside me.

Dominic glanced sideways and saw Miss Van Mielion still looking completely oblivious. When she saw Dominic turn to look at her, she immediately returned a warm and gentle smile, which was like a breath of fresh air to onlookers.

What should have been a warm and welcoming smile now made Dominic, who had just come to his senses, feel uneasy.

It seems that I've once again gotten myself involved in something serious that I shouldn't be involved in or ask about.

Speaking of which, Hern's initial listless demeanor and his impatient attitude of wanting to kick Miss Vanmillion out and refuse to serve her...

what--

Dominic, you still have a lot to learn, if there's another chance...

Little Domi couldn't help but imagine wiping away tears in her mind...

What's going on here...? Big cities are full of traps, I want to go home...

Ultimately, his initial thought was actually to find an opportunity to have an in-depth conversation with Miss Van Mielion about the feelings between girls...

So that's how it is. Is this the little devil named Dominic Antofil's original dream today?

……

Chapter 259 Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Night (Part 10)

"Dominic Antofil, what is it that you desire?"

A solemn murmur brought the little devil, who had been struck by lightning and was wandering in a trance, back to the mortal world.

"..."

With the Devil Prince before him, Dominic naturally dared not speak out.

It's more accurate to say that he was already shaking like a sieve but was trying to remain calm; Little Domi's consciousness was on the verge of breaking down.

In an instant, the atmosphere in the dimly lit and silent reception room became undeniably eerie.

The great demon in cat skin remained calm and collected, casually toying with the unremarkable book while casting his gaze on Dominic with interest, looking him up and down...

It was as if the other guest in the room had never existed.

“My dear girl, you were brought in by the Mostima family’s little maid, and you have acted in accordance with the rules from beginning to end. In principle, we can let you off the hook.”

After a long while, the Devil Duke ended His scrutiny and inexplicably uttered a sentence that was completely unexpected by Domi, yet undoubtedly evoked a sense of relief in her.

The relief of surviving a disaster.

"but……"

"..."

Old Cat abruptly changed the subject, forcing Dominic to swallow back the words of gratitude he was about to kowtow to for sparing her life.

"However, we just saw you dominating the stage, shining brightly all the time, and we've concluded that you're also an expert in this field. So, we got itchy to show off our skills and came here on a whim. How about it, my dear girl, do you want to play a game with us?"

The old cat on the opposite side of the table was in high spirits. Its grotesque mouth was stretched to its ears, and a dice cup was already playing with in its paws. The book that Dominic and his group had been looking for was now placed under the old cat's buttocks.

"..."

"..."

"..."

I'm messing with you!

Which little devil in the world would dare to "play a game" with you, the supreme Duke of the Four Pillars, so casually?

Where is this? This is Gomorrah! The grand stage of dreams, Gomorrah is for those who dare to come! Even a three-year-old knows not to play games with the devil, think twice about the weight of your pockets and your head in Gomorrah!

To go and play around with the incarnation of Grand Duke Baal in this kind of place is like trying to carry a lantern in the bathroom! ???

Perhaps it was the prospect of death that gave her courage; Little Domi could no longer contain herself and went berserk in her heart.

Whether the old cat can hear it or not is no longer important!

"Don't panic, it's very simple. It's the one you played with first at the front desk, my dear girl."

The old cat skillfully shook the dice cup, making a rolling sound. The smooth, flowing rhythm was undeniably pleasant to the ear, but to Little Domi's ears, it sounded like rolling thunder.

"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, practice makes perfect." Old Cat skillfully flipped the dice cup upside down on the table. "Let's start with something simple, my dear girl, do you guess big or small?"

"Big big big..." Dominic's teeth started chattering.

"You guessed big, right? Okay, let's guess small. Look, my dear girl, you won."

Old Cat picked up where Domi left off, skillfully lifted the dice cup, glanced at the three fives on the table, and casually announced the result.

All in one go.

Dominic thought to himself that she was chattering and begging for mercy from the Duke, but she couldn't utter a second word...

"Although this is just an insignificant game, we have established rules beforehand, so we can't let you leave the table empty-handed, my dear girl. Here is the land deed for one of our properties in Gomorrah. Please keep it safe."

The old cat, who had lost a round, did not get angry. Instead, he became even more kind and cheerful. He casually tossed over a contract scroll sealed with sealing wax, then picked up the dice and began to play with them again.

Dominic didn't dare to take the land deed; she didn't have the guts, nor the luck.

Her actions were naturally observed by the old cat, who remained silent, only smiling with his crescent-shaped cat eyes.

Some more time passed.

"My dear girl, let me ask you a question. Why are you afraid to accept the land deed we're offering you?"

"..."

As a chauffeur for VIPs, Dominic possessed a professional level of perceptiveness; she knew that in this situation, she didn't need to answer, as the questioner would answer their own question.

Fortunately, her intuition was right.

"Is it because we hold a higher position than you? Have more power than you? Have lived longer than you? Or are our cat paws bigger than your hands?"

"..."

“Both and neither.”

"..."

"Alright, we're getting tired. Dominic Antofil, let's play one more round with the old man, just like before, guess big or small. If you win, you can take this tattered book and leave this place with its owner."

The old cat across the table magically produced a briefcase with dark gold patterns. With a flick of its tail, the briefcase opened, revealing a dazzling array of parts for a brown-haired girl.

"If you lose, you'll stay and keep this poor girl company, how about that?"

……

"I can't say."

Outside the gilded, magnificent hall, in the corridors, Mostima followed the dissolute scoundrel with slow, unhurried steps.

The corridor beneath their feet seemed ordinary, yet it appeared to extend to infinity. The two of them had just stepped into it when they immediately sensed something amiss.

"Grandpa Bal has his own plans. It's no wonder that we juniors are just asking for trouble if we try to interfere with the old man's actions."