Herrscher of Reason's Arknights

It seemed that no one was wary or suspicious of their surroundings.

There seems to be no problem; I'm probably not being discovered.

"Ara, are you worried about whether you've been discovered? Don't worry, when you were unconscious, the head nurse instructed the nurses managing this place that if they found you were awake and there was nothing wrong, you could be discharged."

ha?

Seeing that Wenlan was still somewhat skeptical, Ghost Shark continued to maintain the position of propping his head up with one hand and lying on the bed, looking incredibly seductive.

"You can leave now, it's that simple, why would I lie to you?"

It seems that the inexplicable explosion did not harm her.

Wait.

Thinking of this, Wenlan looked at the ghost shark beside her, seemingly recalling a key question.

It is clear that she exists only in her own consciousness, meaning that only she can see the ghost shark.

The ghost shark is merely an illusion.

Then the problem is coming.

"I was unconscious just now, so how did you hear what the head nurse said?"

I wasn't even conscious, how could you hear me?!

Wenlan's eyes were filled with suspicion as her red pupils met Ghost Shark's.

"uh-huh···"

However, Specter maintained that pleasing, gentle smile, as if the little devil in front of the reward had discovered a hidden gem, or perhaps...

Simply mocking the person in front of them.

"Who knows? Maybe—I'm just the other half of your brain that's awake."

Tsk, not planning to tell the truth?

He stared at the Specter Shark, but in the end, he was drawn back by the Specter Shark's alluring gaze.

There was no other way; if the demon wasn't going to tell the truth, then she had no other options.

After all, she was just an ordinary person.

Now that she could be discharged, she didn't want to stay here for even a second longer.

············

The discharge process went extremely smoothly, and no one doubted her lineage.

Occasional strokes of luck are still very important.

If even one person had checked it, there would probably be a big problem.

but·····

What about that hunter we saw earlier?

Previously, due to attention issues, I hadn't thought about this aspect at all.

But looking back now, I always feel...

That guy's eyes looked at me as if he knew me.

Wenlan recalled her limited network of connections and didn't think she would know a hunter.

She was an Ager, and she had never seen any other Ager before.

However, when he returned to his neighborhood, he found that his former "home" was surrounded by a cordon.

However, there was no one left at the scene.

I hope these guys don't go in and find something weird or strange!

When she entered the house, she found it in complete disarray.

It wasn't caused by the police ransacking the place later, but by that inexplicable explosion.

Yes, it was definitely an explosion, because there's probably nothing else that could blast a hole in the floor slab except an explosion, and the original interior facilities were almost completely destroyed.

Of course, coincidentally, the magic circle she had drawn on the ground to summon the demon was also destroyed.

It was a coincidence, a very coincidence.

Although they blew their house upside down, they also completely destroyed all the physical evidence. Obviously, the police found nothing. After looking around and finding nothing left, the group probably sealed off the scene and left.

It seems I'm probably out of danger.

However, as for where to live... I can only go back to my old home.

This is Victoria's eastern port, and it's one of the cheapest places to buy land, which is where she eventually found the place.

As for the old home, it was located in a more central part of the eastern city, at a distance that was neither too far nor too close to here.

"It seems I have no choice but to go back to my old home."

Leaning against the door frame, she glanced at the house, now a ruin, picked up some usable items from what used to be the living room, stuffed the house key into her pocket, and then prepared to leave.

Where is your old home?

The ghost shark reappeared beside the girl.

"The area around my old school, Whitechapel Street... tsk."

Suddenly, it doesn't feel so good anymore. It's near Whitechapel, and aside from the fact that I have absolutely no good memories of it, what's more...

There seems to be a serial killer roaming around at night somewhere—

A greeting from the deep sea [8]

So we're back here again.

Looking at the familiar yet distant streets, it felt like I had returned to my childhood.

This place seems to have been abandoned by the times. After all these years, it still looks the same. Apart from some changes to the facade, there has been almost no change.

"This is your hometown?"

"To be precise, it used to be my address, but I gave up on this old place when I grew up."

Walking on the stone-paved road, the wheels of the carriages beside me made a creaking sound as they rolled over the uneven surface.

Compared to the port area, this place is more like the old town, and even the architectural style retains the characteristics of the previous era. Even the chapel is a Gothic building.

It's a great place to retire.

"This isn't...from the O'Brien family—"

As I was walking, an old lady who had brushed past me on the street suddenly turned around, her aged voice trembling as she called out a surname that sounded quite old.

Wenlan instinctively turned around and saw an old man wearing a dark red jacket.

Although his eyesight was already failing due to old age, he could still recognize the girl in front of him as if by some strange twist of fate.

He slowly took out his reading glasses from his breast pocket, put them on, and then leaned over.

"Oh my, it really is you! What brings you back?"

The old lady still recognized her. Back when Wenlan was just a little kid, this woman already knew her, since she often ran into her when playing on the street.

"Um... I just came back to visit."

Faced with the overly enthusiastic old man, Wenlan was at a loss and instinctively took a step back, creating some distance between them.

"Oh, is that so? It's good that you're back. You don't know, ever since you left, the old man said that his apple pie has lost its last admirer."

At this point, the old man chuckled. Indeed, Wenlan really liked the apple pie that the old man made back then.

It's probably because it's too sweet, and only Wenlan, who's a die-hard sweet tooth, would like to eat it. The rest of the kids on the street don't like the apple pie made by the old man.

"Oh right, your house hasn't been cleaned in a long time, has it? Those girls on the street are still loafing around. If you want, I can call them over to help you clean the house."

"No, no, no need. I just came back to visit, I'll be leaving in a bit."

"Oh, I see. It's good that you came back to visit. I'm glad you're alright. Speaking of which, your sister..."

"...She's fine."

It seemed they had touched on a taboo topic, and Wenlan's smile turned somewhat somber, while the old man also looked a little disappointed.

That was a messy thing that happened many years ago, and now Wenlan believes she has forgotten it all.

However, upon arriving here, in this place abandoned by the times and almost frozen in her memory, those memories she didn't want to recall surged back.

After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Wenlan bid farewell to the old man and headed towards her old home.

However, just as she turned back to look for Ghost Shark, she found that Ghost Shark, who could only exist in her consciousness, was standing with his arms crossed, staring blankly at the street.

Gone were the playful banter and gentle smiles of the past.

She didn't even smile.

Phantom.

Wenlan complained for a moment, then decided to head home.

She had kept the key well, inserted the bolt, and turned the lock.

It was very easy to open the lock that had been sealed for many years.

The furnishings were the same as before, covered in a layer of dust.

I can't stay where I used to live for the time being, so I'll stay here for a while.

Pulling back the curtains reveals floor-to-ceiling windows that allow for easy views of the surrounding streets from the living room.

It remains the same here. No matter how people change or what they encounter, this place seems to remain unchanged, and no one can alter the flow of time.

But the most important question is, what to do next?

"You really are very composed."

Suddenly, I felt a tickling sensation in my ear from the hot, moist breath.

Ghost Shark appeared beside her at some point, leaning over and resting against Wenlan in an extremely ambiguous posture. His red lips gently touched the girl's earlobe, and every word he uttered was incredibly seductive.

"Can you keep your composure?"

Wenlan looked at the ghost shark, her vigilance never fading.

However, Ghost Shark wasn't annoyed by this guy who never seemed to fall for his tricks.

The most prominent characteristic of demons is their patience; after all, they are the most successful businessmen.

What they're selling is fate.

This seemingly unfamiliar Ms. Ghost Shark has now become quite outgoing.

He jumped back and sat down on the soft sofa.

"...Aren't you hallucinating? Even hallucinations would sit on a sofa and enjoy themselves?"

Seeing Ghost Shark sink into the sofa with a relaxed expression, Wenlan really wanted to ask this question.

"It's not about enjoyment, but simply a habit of thinking. You think people need to rest, so I'll be like a person and like to sit or lie down, but I don't like to stand around. People can't always break free from their habit of thinking to understand new things."

The voice of the ghost shark seemed to possess a magical power called temptation, and the devil's gentle seduction was so reassuring.

If this guy went into sales, he could probably earn enough to buy an entire street in Columbia.

This guy always speaks in half-truths, leaving things unsaid and never making his point clear.

"Speak plainly, don't try to play a riddle."

Wenlan is a straightforward person and doesn't like this roundabout way of speaking. She's just an ordinary person who speaks frankly.

"It's simple. You're already different from others, so why should you be like those pigeons who just follow others around?"

As he spoke, Ghost Shark seemed to genuinely consider himself an outsider, a mere illusion.

Kicking off his shoes, Ghost Shark, who usually walks an elegant path, completely abandoned his theatrical performance and deliberate affectation today. His black ankle boots were removed, revealing his feet encased in black stockings.

The long black dress was lifted with the movement, making people almost catch a glimpse of that forbidden beauty, yet always just short of seeing it.

The darkness, which is endlessly alluring yet unattainable, fills one with beautiful fantasies.

It's far more romantic and alluring to be coy and veiled than to be completely open and honest.